The latest runway from Valentino unfolded not in Paris but in Rome, inside the baroque grandeur of
Palazzo Barberini. The decision to present the collection in the brand’s home city carried particular
emotional weight. It marked the first Valentino runway show since the passing of the house’s
founder, Valentino Garavani, whose influence defined Italian couture for more than half a century.
In that sense, the show functioned as more than a seasonal presentation. It was an inflection
point—both a tribute to the legacy of Valentino Garavani and a statement of direction under the
house’s current creative director, Alessandro Michele.
Rather than stage a sombre memorial, Michele approached the moment with the kind of layered
romanticism that has come to define his work. The collection unfolded as a dialogue between
reverence and disruption, heritage and imagination.
Rome as Stage
Palazzo Barberini, with its frescoed ceilings and monumental architecture, provided a setting that
felt almost operatic. Michele has always been a designer fascinated by history, and the location
allowed him to frame the collection within Rome’s visual mythology—where art, cinema and
aristocratic glamour have long intersected.
The palace’s ornate interior echoed the richness of the clothes themselves. Velvet, lace and
jewel-tone fabrics caught the light of the historic rooms, reinforcing the sense that the show was as
much an atmospheric experience as a fashion presentation.
Silhouettes: Between Discipline and Excess
Michele’s signature maximalism was immediately evident. Layers of fabric, elaborate embroidery
and dramatic draping dominated the runway. Yet beneath the decoration there was a surprising
structural clarity.
Coats appeared elongated and precise, their lines controlled despite the weight of embellishment.
Dresses fell into carefully managed pleats, sometimes paired with lace hosiery that introduced a
subtle sensuality.
The silhouettes carried echoes of classical statuary—long vertical lines that allowed the garments
to move with a quiet theatricality.
Where Michele’s earlier work often celebrated visual chaos, this collection suggested a designer
increasingly conscious of Valentino’s historic elegance.
Colour: The Language of Roman Luxury
Colour functioned almost like a narrative device throughout the show. Deep emeralds, sapphires
and burgundy tones appeared repeatedly, creating a palette reminiscent of Renaissance painting.
Velvet gowns in saturated jewel tones moved against darker wool coats and layered silks,
producing contrasts that felt almost painterly.
And then, inevitably, came the moment everyone was waiting for: Rosso Valentino. The house’s
iconic shade of red appeared in the finale gown, a gesture that read unmistakably as homage to the
founder whose name remains synonymous with the colour.
Accessories and Ornament
Accessories amplified the show’s baroque atmosphere. Oversized jewellery, bows and intricate
embellishments appeared throughout the collection, reinforcing Michele’s fascination with
decoration as storytelling.
Yet the styling also included playful touches—layered necklaces, textured tights, and unexpected
pairings that softened the drama of the garments.
The effect hovered somewhere between couture elegance and theatrical costume, a tension
Michele seems particularly drawn to.
The iconic Valentino Rockstud made a striking return on the Valentino Fall/Winter 2026 runway, reminding fashion insiders why the design became one of the house’s most recognisable signatures. First introduced under Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri, the pyramid studs once again appeared across accessories and footwear, adding an edge of modern glamour. The revival felt both nostalgic and fresh, proving that the Rockstud remains a timeless emblem of Valentino’s bold yet elegant identity.
A House After Valentino
The emotional context surrounding the show inevitably shaped its reception. As the first runway
presentation since Valentino Garavani’s death, the collection carried the weight of history.
For decades, Valentino himself defined the house’s aesthetic—refined glamour, immaculate
tailoring, and the unmistakable presence of Rosso Valentino.
Michele’s approach does not attempt to replicate that legacy directly. Instead, he treats it as a
foundation on which to build something new.
The Fall/Winter 2026 show suggested a house in conversation with its past rather than constrained
by it. The codes remain—romanticism, opulence, the colour red—but they are filtered through
Michele’s own visual imagination.
If the founder’s era was defined by disciplined elegance, Michele’s Valentino appears poised to
explore something more layered: a world where Rome’s history, cinema and art collide with
contemporary fashion.
And in the shadow of Valentino Garavani’s passing, that conversation between past and future
feels more poignant than ever.
