Valentino unveils corsets and chunky jewellery

Valentino presented a colourful and theatrical collection in Paris on Sunday, with creative director Alessandro Michele unveiling corset tops, lace skirts and chunky gold jewellery in the iconic reading room of the 19th-century Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève. Michele titled the show “Antibiblioteca”, transforming the historic library into a dramatic backdrop for a collection that blended intellectual references with the house’s flamboyant aesthetic.
On a sun-drenched afternoon, celebrities arrived for the show, each clutching a book that they proudly displayed for photographers and a large crowd of assembled fans. Guests including actors Alexander Skarsgård and Cynthia Erivo, American stylist Law Roach and Chinese model Yidan Huang took their seats at long oak reading tables, dotted with traditional green lamps beneath the library’s distinctive iron latticework ceiling arches. The setting created a striking contrast with the vivid colours, elaborate styling and theatrical silhouettes moving through the space.
Michele has led the Roman fashion house since March 2024 and remains under pressure to revive its fortunes after Valentino swung to a €103 million loss last year, as revenues fell 15 per cent. The designer previously spent eight years as creative director of Gucci, where his maximalist aesthetic and androgynous, eccentric designs, including his now-famous fur-lined loafers, helped reinvigorate the brand and drive a significant increase in sales.
For Valentino, Michele continued to explore that appetite for excess. Models prowled between the library stacks in tight silk corset tops in bright blue, yellow and hot pink, frequently paired with skirts in contrasting colours. Strapless dresses added to the sense of theatricality, while the final look offered a particularly recognisable Valentino statement: a floor-length Valentino red gown finished with a giant black bow.
Lace appeared prominently throughout the collection, with skirts and shirts finished with dramatic ostrich-feather hems that softened the otherwise structured silhouettes. Jewellery was equally bold, featuring elaborate baroque-style gold necklaces, oversized pearl earrings and colourful pieces designed to compete for attention with the clothing.
Accessories continued the maximalist approach. Women and men carried cross-body handbags or rectangular clutches decorated with studs and sequins. Menswear included half-buttoned double-breasted jackets and sequinned shirts, complemented by tinted sunglasses and brightly coloured baseball caps bearing the words “VILLAIN TEEN”.
Beyond the runway, the show comes at a significant moment for Valentino. In June, the company’s shareholders, Qatar-backed Mayhoola, which owns 70 per cent of the fashion house, and French luxury group Kering, which holds the remaining 30 per cent, committed additional financial support for 2026 following an increase in debt. Kering also holds options to increase its ownership to 100 per cent before 2029, adding further significance to Michele’s effort to redefine Valentino’s direction and restore its commercial momentum. — Reuters