Valentino couture returns with restraint, ritual and flashes of theatre

Valentino’s first couture show since founder Valentino Garavani’s funeral unfolded in two acts: mourning, then theatre. Many guests arrived in Paris directly from Rome, and the emotional residue shaped a presentation that opened in near-darkness before pivoting sharply into provocation during Paris couture week.

Mourning set the tone before couture snapped sharply into controlled spectacle.

Guests were ushered to stark stools facing circular white pods, each punctured by a single viewing window. When the show began, blinds snapped open, classical music fractured, and the sound of barking dogs cut through the space. Models appeared inside the pods like mannequins behind glass — couture reduced to fragments: a face, a sleeve, a glint of embellishment. Alessandro Michele, known for maximalism, used denial and control as his main tools.

The staging was clinical, futuristic and faintly unsettling. Guests were forced into partial sightlines, never quite seeing the whole. It was couture presented as curated gaze — intimate, restricted and uneasy — a sharp contrast to Valentino’s traditional romance. As a piece of showcraft, it was precise and intelligent, proving Michele’s command of atmosphere.

The clothes themselves were more measured. There was disco shimmer, sequins, ornate headwear and layered gold collars, but the silhouettes often held back. Strong moments surfaced in exaggerated sleeves, monumental skirts and surfaces that caught the light with Valentino’s familiar polish. Yet for a designer celebrated for excess, the collection felt cautious — a deliberate recalibration rather than a full declaration.

The front row reinforced the sense of occasion. Dakota Johnson, Lily Allen and Tyla joined industry power players, amplifying the feeling of an event rather than a routine showing. The message was clear: this was a reset, not a crescendo.

For veteran critic Suzy Menkes, the emotion lingered. Coming straight from Garavani’s funeral, she described the moment as “the end of an era”, noting how few designers achieved Valentino’s reach beyond fashion’s inner circle. While acknowledging the strength of today’s talent, she underlined the absence of a singular character.

Michele can stage drama. What remains to be seen is how boldly he will let it dress the body.

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