Intimacy on Stage, the Theater of Fluid Identities of Apollo and Dionysus
The Paris Fashion Week of March 2025 saw the return of Valentino with its FW25 collection, presented by Alessandro Michele, the brand’s creative director.
This event was more than just a fashion show; it was an immersive sensory experience that invited the audience to reflect deeply on the nature of intimacy and identity. Michele, as always, demonstrated his unique ability to blend philosophical concepts with sartorial expressions, creating a world where the theater of intimacy and the fluidity of identities seamlessly intertwine.
Intimacy on Stage: The Theater of Fluid Identities of Apollo and Dionysus
With the title “LE MÉTA-THÉÂTRE DES INTIMITÉS” (Valentino: The Meta-Theater of Intimacies), Michele chose to explore the concept of intimacy through a theatrical lens. The term “meta-theater” refers to a form of performance that reflects on itself. In other words, it is theater that does not simply tell a story, but questions the process of storytelling itself.
Intimacy, therefore, is not only a theme that runs through the collection but also the medium through which the audience explores the idea of identity as something fluid and constantly evolving.
At the core of this reflection are the divinities of Apollo and Dionysus, representing two opposing, yet complementary, forces. Apollo, the god of rationality, order, and beauty, contrasts with Dionysus, the god of passion, chaos, and liberation. This confrontation between rationality and irrationality is a theme that Michele chose to explore through fashion, staging the ambiguity and fluidity of identity. Just like in mythology, where Apollo and Dionysus are never truly separate, our identities today result from a constant oscillation between these two poles.
The quote by Roberto Màdera that opens the collection emphasizes that intimacy can be viewed as a space of authenticity and truth, away from the social conventions and masks we wear in daily life. However, Michele goes beyond this view. For him, intimacy is not a fixed space but a continuous construction. Identity, in fact, is never stable but is in constant transformation, influenced by external forces, social relationships, and, of course, cultural conventions.
Location: A Public Bathroom as a Metaphor for Fluid Intimacy
Michele’s concept of fluid and performative intimacy finds perfect expression in the choice of location: the Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA). Here, the designer created a true public bathroom, a place where the boundaries between the private and the public, the intimate and the exposed, dissolve. Environment is characterized by red neon lights, industrial sinks, and mirrors, creating a feeling of unease that is also deeply symbolic. Intimacy, in this context, is not a safe refuge, but a place where every self-expression is always exposed and in continuous evolution.
Set, with its doors opening and closing continuously, not only reveals the models but invites them to participate in a play of identities that defy any fixed definition. In this disturbing and dystopian space, reminiscent of a David Lynchfilm, Michele explores Michel Foucault’s idea of heterotopia.
This concept suggests that intimacy is never a secure, defined space but a suspended one that subverts social rules and reveals the theatrical nature of every expression of self. This is a public bathroom, a place where truth is never attainable but is only continuously represented and reinterpreted.
Fashion Show: A Theatrical Representation of Intimacy
The Valentino FW25 show was an immersive visual experience in which set design, music, and performance fused together to create a visual reflection on intimacy and identity.
Runway, built with red tiles and sinks, transformed into a theatrical stage where the models were not just mannequins to display, but actors representing the evolution of identity. The doors opening and closing created a suspended environment, a continuous movement that emphasized the fluidity of identities.
The soundtrack of the show was another key element.
Music, including the song “Gods & Monsters” by Lana Del Rey, added depth to the collection’s central concept. Track, which explores themes of decadence, the desire for liberation, and the contrast between beauty and sin, perfectly aligns with the show’s theme, which investigates the tension between intimacy as a refuge and the reality of a society that constantly imposes masks and expectations.
Looks of the FW25 Collection: Elegance, Audacity, and Everyday Wear
Valentino’s FW25 collection was marked by a delicate balance between elegance and practicality. While there were bold and visionary elements, such as bras worn over bodies, the pieces in the collection were designed to be easily integrated into everyday life. They responded to the demands of a world that increasingly asks for sustainability and versatility.
Models wore jeans paired with tops adorned with bows. Red cardigans evoked an air of elegance while also conveying a sense of modernity.
Vintage references were also present. Flared pants and fur coats evoked a 1960s aesthetic, while accessories like glasses, bags, and hats added a note of refinement and originality.
Among the most significant details was a t-shirt featuring the words “Apollo and Dionysus.” This t-shirt was also worn by Michele at the show’s finale. The reference, drawn from Greek mythology, emphasizes the contrast between two opposing forces that define human existence.
As discussed by Friedrich Nietzsche, the relationship between Apollo and Dionysus represents the eternal struggle between rationality and passion, order and chaos. This has been an ongoing theme throughout Michele’s work.
Undressing the Soul: A Never-Ending Theater
What made the Valentino FW25 show truly unique was its ability to unite sartorial elements and philosophical ideas into a narrative that is never truly concluded. The collection does not merely present clothes; it invites the audience to reflect on a fluid and evolving concept of identity.
In a world where image and communication are central to our lives, Michele has chosen to make intimacy a stage of continuous change. In this space, every person is called to undress their soul and reveal their truth.
His work is not only fashion; it is an ongoing exploration of the social and cultural challenges of our time. Fashion, like design and architecture, needs these approaches to overcome the challenges of contemporary society.
With Valentino FW25, Michele does not offer a definitive idea of intimacy or identity. Instead, he presents a continuous theater of transformation that leaves a lasting impact on fashion and society.
