The outdated sacredness of swirling fashion and the “list”
In 2025, Alessandro Michele enters the heart of haute couture, taking the reins of Valentino after leaving an indelible mark on the fashion world with his career at Gucci. His debut as creative director at Valentino is one of the most highly anticipated events in international fashion. Along with Glen Martens’s arrival from Maison Margiela, this moment creates a whirlwind of emotions and reflections within the fashion world. As Michele teaches us, fashion is a vortex of stories, clothes, colors, and people constantly intertwined.
Michele’s Debut: The Valentino Show
Michele himself embodies the very vortex he describes—always seeking balance between chaos and order, the past and present, the new and the old. The Valentino collection, titled “Vertigineux,” evokes concepts of dizziness and chaos. The show takes place in a captivating and symbolic setting. In Paris, on a rainy day, the imposing Palais Brongniarttransforms into a mysterious, dark space. A large LED screen behind the runway displays keywords chosen by the designer, in red: social, work, home, and history. These words reflect Michele’s ongoing thoughts about the world around him. They are part of his personal, unique interpretation of Valentino Haute Couture 2025.
The Runway: Between Symbolism and Narrative
The runway itself is unconventional. Models walk sideways in relation to the audience, stopping in front of a yellow cross at the center. At the midway point, they turn, revealing the look number behind them. Through this play of light and shadow, Michele creates a narrative in progress, where each garment is a chapter in a long, complex story. The words on the screen are not just decorative elements; they are part of a manifesto, a deeper reflection on fashion as a language that conveys meaning in a fresh, provocative way.
Music and Papal Symbolism
The music accompanying the show is solemn and almost liturgical, emphasizing the sacredness of the act. While still rooted in fashion, it transcends the boundaries of simple aesthetics. Michele himself has noted a symbolic connection between Valentino and the Pope in Rome. For him, fashion is almost sacred, a form of high art that reflects on our times, emotions, and stories.
Philosophical Influences: Umberto Eco and the List
Michele draws inspiration from Umberto Eco’s reflections, especially his book “The Vertigo of the List”. Eco explores the concept of the list as a fundamental tool in human culture. The list, he argues, can bring order to chaos. It helps structure the infinite, much like cataloging objects in a museum or words in a dictionary. In the same way, fashion’s list acts as a guide, helping to navigate the vast sea of ideas and creativity, particularly within the context of Valentino Haute Couture 2025.
Reinterpreting the Valentino Archive
In this context, Michele serves as an interpreter who does not simply archive the past but reinvents it. He blends it with the present to create something fresh and significant. His approach to the Valentino archive mirrors that of an art curator—someone who doesn’t just preserve history but aims to rewrite and transform it. Each garment is more than just clothing; it is a visual representation that reflects the passage of time, showing how history intertwines with our present.
Haute Couture: Creative Freedom and Exploration
In an interview, Michele shared how entering the Vogue archive felt like a journey through time. It allowed him to rediscover the origins of fashion and the connections between the past and present. However, his work is not purely conservative. It is a reinterpretation, bringing the beauty of the past into the present through new forms. This is the essence of Valentino Haute Couture 2025—transforming old ideas into something relevant and meaningful.
The Challenge of Synthesis
Michele asserts that haute couture goes beyond everyday reality. A haute couture garment does not fulfill daily needs; it represents freedom—the creation of something without limits. Michele has always critiqued constraints, and he enjoys working in a context without boundaries. Haute couture allows for the destruction of limits, giving life to creations that transcend the logic of the everyday. However, this freedom presents a challenge: how to shape creativity without it becoming too dispersive. Absolute freedom risks becoming too confusing, making it difficult to interpret.
Each Garment as a “Grammatical Error List”
Each piece created by Michele is a “grammatical error list.” It is not a perfect list, nor a final statement. Instead, each garment is a juxtaposition of meanings—a continuous accumulation that challenges linearity and perfection. These garments are catalogs of stories, ranging from Michele’s personal experiences to influences from art, philosophy, history, and music. Michele creates a network of connections, producing a living archive of meanings, where each garment serves as a point in a world that continues to expand.
The Constellation of Visions and the Incomplete Multiplicity
With every look, Michele creates more than just clothes. He builds a layering of references and memories. His creations do not end with what is visible; every fabric, stitch, and color evokes a reference to interconnected worlds. Each garment becomes a constellation of visions, never fully finished, always expanding into an incomplete multiplicity.
The Quest for Synthesis and the Journey Out of the Vortex
At Valentino, Michele embarks on a journey through infinite possibilities, exploring a world that resists simple synthesis. In a show with 48 looks, each garment becomes a story unto itself—a chapter in an ever-expanding narrative. The artistic influences, historical references, and cultural symbols woven into each piece serve as raw material for a work that will never conclude.
The Challenge of Creative Synthesis
Despite the magnificence of his vision, there is an inherent need for synthesis. As fashion becomes a vortex of emotions and meanings, Michele’s true challenge will be to balance his boundless creativity with the need for clearer interpretation. Each garment, though technically flawless and symbolic, sometimes risks overwhelming the viewer. Like a vortex that pulls everything into its center, his collection can become too complex, making it difficult for the audience to interpret.
In conclusion, Alessandro Michele’s approach to Valentino Haute Couture 2025 is a continuous search for creative freedom, while also confronting the chaos of the unknown. His work proves that fashion can be both a revolutionary and sacred act. Yet the true challenge will be to channel this energy into a language that captivates while remaining accessible and understandable, capable of presenting chaos without losing its beauty.
