The Breathtaking Debut of Alessandro Michele in Valentino Haute Couture
One of the most highly anticipated shows of the season was Valentino’s, and for a good reason—this marked Alessandro Michele’s debut in haute couture, his first-ever couture collection for Valentino and in his entire career. And as expected, it was far more than just a runway show—because with Michele, everything transforms into a spectacle. In fact, it was a grand theatrical performance, worthy of its name.
VERTIGINEUX: A Poetics of the List
The collection was aptly titled VERTIGINEUX, evoking a sense of vertigo—dizziness, disorientation… And yes, Michele, we were left feeling exactly that, mesmerised by the sheer richness of details and the mastery of craftsmanship.
A Philosophical Collection
As the models walked at an unhurried, almost ceremonial pace, a screen in the background displayed a series of seemingly random phrases—a list that was, in fact, far from arbitrary. Michele drew inspiration from the renowned Italian philosopher Umberto Eco and his reflections on the power of lists.
In the midst of chaos and disorder, could lists be a way of managing the infinite? A method of controlling what seems uncontrollable? According to Eco, all lists exist within two complementary tendencies—are they a means of presenting the disarray of the universe, or do they merely contemplate the chaos?
Michele himself described how this concept shaped his creative process:
“These thoughts accompanied me as I prepared my first haute couture show. They led me to conceive each dress—unique, finished, and incomparable—as an uninterrupted, potentially infinite catalogue of words: an ungrammatical list built through accumulation and juxtaposition.
Forty-eight dresses: forty-eight lists. Within each of these lists, material and immaterial elements coexist, forming measurable quantities.”
Lists of an Immeasurable Talent
Speaking of lists and numbers, some of the dresses required over 1,600 hours of meticulous handwork—multiply that by the 48 looks presented, and the scale of craftsmanship becomes almost unfathomable.
The collection read like an intricate tapestry of references—emotional threads, pictorial inspirations, commercial ledgers, biographical quilting, film narratives, philosophical seams, chromatic geometries, musical notations, linguistic chains, symbolic folds, embroidered time, botanical fragments, visual archetypes, historic textiles, narrative marquetry, relational knots…
Each dress seemed to evoke a plurality of interconnected worlds, while still standing uniquely on its own.
A Common DNA
In an era of information overload, Michele delved deep into Valentino’s history, reconnecting with the very DNA created by Mr. Garavani himself. Though we have grown familiar with Michele’s distinct aesthetic, this collection proved that he was far more in tune with Valentino’s legacy than one might have initially thought. A glance through the house’s archives—particularly from the 1970s—confirms this.
It’s no coincidence that Michele once aspired to be a theatre costume designer. What he presented wasn’t merely fashion, but rather a spectacle in the form of a runway show.
A Collection That Turns Heads
From the vertigo-inducing Harlequin dress to baroque silhouettes filled with dramatic volumes, from intricate lacework and the signature Valentino red to ornate masks (yes, headwear is set to dominate next season), the collection was a feast of embellishment.
Lavish ruffles, exaggerated bows wrapping around every detail, majestic embroidery, an abundance of strass, oversized acrylic bracelets, capes, floral prints, plumes, accentuated hips, layered tulle skirts, Victorian inspirations, beaded tights, fringe degradé, and of course, crochet—the undisputed star of the moment. One particular crochet piece alone required 380 hours of pure artistry.
And even if I were to spend hours “listing” the immense talent of Michele, his artisans, and his team, I would still fall short of adjectives adequate enough to describe it.
Because, after all, the inexplicable cannot be explained—it can only be felt. And that is the overwhelming emotion left behind when witnessing what Alessandro Michele is capable of.
And this is only the beginning.
Photos by me
