Valentino mixes 80s and Baroque splendour on Rome return
Italian fashion house Valentino returned to its roots Thursday with a 1980s-inspired catwalk show in one of Rome's most spectacular venues_ two months after the death of founder Valentino Garavani.
Around 700 people including Hollywood star Gwyneth Paltrow were invited to the show held in the galleries of the Palazzo Barberini_ a Baroque palace now home to masterpieces by Caravaggio_ Raphael and many others.
Valentino_ known for dressing some of the world's most glamorous women_ normally shows in Paris_ despite having been established in the Italian capital in 1960.
But creative director Alessandro Michele chose to return to the Eternal City for his fall/winter 2026-27 collection_ the first for ready-to-wear since the founder's death aged 93 on January 19.
Under Pietro da Cortona's spectacular ceiling fresco_ "The Triumph of Divine Providence"_ male and female models walked out onto fake grass in outfits heavily inspired by the 1980s.
There were strong shoulders_ cinched waists and mini-skirts_ accessorised with glittering oversized jewellery_ including giant pearls and chunky pendants.
Michele_ who took over in 2024_ said that during the late 1980s and 1990s "Valentino was still working like crazy and making_ from his hands_ beauty".
It was a time of "positivity" and "empowerment"_ when women in particular were becoming more in control of their bodies_ he told reporters backstage.
Working with pleats and draping the fabrics around their bodies_ Valentino "was building the idea of a goddess... putting women in the centre of the world".
The final dress of Michele's collection Thursday_ a longsleeved gown with a deep cut at the back_ was a showstopper in the house's signature red.
"Red is very difficult to manage_" Michele admitted_ but said it was crucial to the brand.
Perfect world
The models reached the galleries via Francesco Borromini's helical staircase_ one of two in the palazzo_ the other a square design by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
Commissioned at the same time_ they reflect the palazzo's ability to have "divergent forces cohabit without neutralising one another"_ Michele said in the show notes.
Along the same vein_ the collection -- entitled "Interferenze" (interferences) -- demonstrated contrasts between "code and deviation_ lightness and gravity"_ he wrote.
Valentino_ who dressed A-listers from Jackie Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor to Princess Diana and Julia Roberts_ became synonymous with glamour and beauty.
Speaking to reporters_ Michele said the designer made things that were "perfect"_ but "we no longer live in that perfect world".
"I do it my way_ because I am the interference myself_" he said.
Very important clients
The invite-only_ black-tie show was a lavish affair_ with many guests invited to a dinner afterwards_ and brought to the venues in official cars.
It was broadcast live on Valentino's social media channels and on big screens around Rome_ Milan and Naples -- but it was those inside the room who the house wanted to wow.
Of the estimated 700 guests invited_ 200 were journalists and VIPs_ with the rest VIC -- very important clients_ according to a Valentino insider.
Like other fashion houses_ Valentino has been buffeted by the myriad of challenges facing the wider luxury industry_ from slowing demand to inflation and geopolitical uncertainty.
Michele helped transform Gucci during his seven years there_ and Valentino is hoping he will do the same for them.
The label is 70 percent owned by Qatar investment fund Mayhoola_ while French luxury group Kering has a 30 percent stake.
