When Alessandro Michele was announced as the new creative director at Valentino, lovers of maximalism and eccentricity rejoiced. In June, the designer dropped his resort collection, all 171 looks of it, in lookbook format. But today in Paris, he took to the runway for the first time in his new role. Michele loyalists Florence Welch, Harry Styles, Elton John, Jared Leto, and Hari Nef were on hand for the big reveal, titled “Pavillon des Folies.”
The show space had a salon atmosphere, with mood lighting emanating from covered lamps and guests sitting on armchairs. The runway resembled broken glass or black ice, and the défilé kicked off with sounds of breaking glass.
In his show notes, the designer wrote that beauty can be a “remedy for the anguish that arises from the ephemeral and undetermined nature of our destiny” and mused on whether beauty has a purpose. What followed was a parade of different interpretations of that idea, informed by the Valentino archives. There were paisleys and florals, polka dots, layer-cake ruffles, and embellishments of all kinds.
Eras mingled, from fringed ’60s bags to ’30s gowns to 2020s facial jewelry. Each look was styled with the full complement of accessories: broad-brimmed hats and turbans, lace tights, bow-bedecked pumps, and gleaming Art Deco-style earrings. As the show unfurled, a song played in multiple languages about the importance of finding joy—and it seemed that Michele was reminding us of the joy that can be found in dressing up.
Valentino Spring/Summer 2025
Véronique Hyland is ELLE’s Fashion Features Director and the author of the book Dress Code, which was selected as one of The New Yorker's Best Books of the Year. Her writing has previously appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, W, New York magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and Condé Nast Traveler.
