Hello, my fashion tech besties! The chatter is loud: Alessandro Michele’s Valentino has everyone wondering if it’s morphing into a Gucci 2.0. But honestly, what else would we expect? When a brand brings in a designer like Michele, it’s to reimagine its vision through his unique lens, and that’s exactly what he’s done: blending his signature drama with Valentino’s classic elegance.
The Spring/Summer 2025 collection, “Pavillon des Folies,” debuted on September 29 at Paris’s Maison du Judo, a space transformed by fractured mirrors and haunting sounds of piano mixed with breaking glass. The setup was just as dramatic as the clothes, inviting us to ask a big question: What is beauty, really?
Michele opened with a black-and-white heart-shaped dress, a nostalgic nod to a 1990s Valentino couture piece by Valentino Garavani himself. He kept the original’s delicate bows but refreshed the silhouette, giving it a sleeker, modern vibe.
The entire collection is rich with references to Valentino’s past, particularly the ‘60s and ‘70s. Michele even revived Garavani’s iconic “V” monogram—the one Jackie Kennedy adored—while also reimagining classic shapes, like a beautifully structured coat inspired by the ‘60s.
Michele brings a rich balance of Valentino’s timeless sophistication and his own theatrical style, resulting in a collection that’s Valentino at its core, but with a twist only Michele could deliver.
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