Alessandro Michele brings his maximalism into a new era at Valentino
Each season, we break down everything you need to know about the new collections in The Fashion Week Cheat Sheet. After speaking to the designers about their inspiration, their hero pieces, the faces on the catwalk and the names on the front row, we present your complete guide to spring/summer 2025.
Although we already had our first taste of Alessandro Michele's Valentino with the latest resort collection, spring/summer 2025 marked his runway debut with the house – and it was one which truly stole all of the attention in Paris.
Entitled, 'Pavillon des Folies', the collection found references in Valentino's history, particularly in the 1970s, while bringing Michele's trademark maximalism into a new era. Models wore veils, enormous hats, piercings, faux fur, white tights, polka dots, florals, ruffles, bows, embellishment – it was all there. In his show notes, he suggested that this collection was all about the joy of dressing up, and finding meaning in beauty – something he has certainly become known for during his time as a designer.
Theme and inspiration
Michele's collection was a bringing together of his new house and his own trademark style. In his research, in which he spent extensive time in the Valentino archive, Michele found inspiration in what he called Valentino's golden age – the 1970s – while he also referenced the late Sixties and early Eighties, and paid tribute to the iconic Valentino red.
With his trademark maximalist styling, there was a lot going on in the collection – he paired an embellished jacket with a floral skirt and lace tights; a red bra and silk knickers with a jacket trimmed with faux-fur and a veil; a feathered hat with a printed silk dress and contrasting knitwear. It was, he explained, his way of finding meaning within so much beauty.
"When I say beauty, I am clearly not referring to its universalistic, dogmatic and normative mythologisation," he wrote. "I rather allude to that unique capability to deeply feel and connect with something that unveils and reveals a new universe of meaning: an epiphany in which the connections between us, things and living beings, become immediately visible."
Hero pieces
So much of what works for Michele's collections is in the styling, which we will see all over the street-style set in the coming seasons – but, the gowns also deserve a special mention. Hopefully we will be seeing some of those on the red carpet very soon.
The setting
The room was filled with dimly-lit lamps and antiques that were draped in a sheer white fabric, while the floor was covered in broken mirrors.
Who was there?
Plenty of famous faces who supported Michele throughout his time at Gucci were on hand for his Valentino debut. This included; Harry Styles, Elton John, Salma Hayek, Carla Bruni and Florence Welch.
Catch up on more from the spring/summer 2025 catwalk season here.
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