Alessandro Michele lays Valentino on a bed of satin
On a bed of satin, fashion seems to have stopped. For Valentino’s Spring 2026 campaign, Alessandro Michele abandons pure exuberance for a more interior register. The result? A soft, almost suspended staging, far from his usual effects.
A hushed retreat, far from the usual theatrical setting
Photographed by Marili Andre, the campaign invites us into an orchestrated intimacy: models reclining, absorbed in their banal gestures – typing, dreaming, nibbling. Seen from above, the scene evokes a painting, between desacralized everyday life and silent grace.
But make no mistake: this sobriety is not a renunciation. It’s a new form of visual power, less baroque than Alessandro Michele’s Valentino debut, but just as evocative.
A collection between evanescence and structure
The Spring 2026 wardrobe oscillates between opulence and purity. We find polka-dot chiffon dresses, pastel bouclé ensembles, embroidered cardigans and feathered skirts.
The designer’s signature is still there – iconic draping, retro prints, generous volumes – but the tone is changing. Less overload, more breathability.
TheValentino legacy blends with a personal narrative: that of an artistic director in search of meaning, accuracy, perhaps even maturity.
An aesthetic (and strategic?) turning point for Alessandro Michele
The contrast with the blood-red autumn-winter show is striking. Here, the focus is on light, pastels and a nonchalant yet sophisticated femininity.
Alex Brownsell‘s loose hairstyles, iridescent make-up by Aimi Osada, signature accessories: every detail reinforces a vision that is masterful but less theatrical.
Is this a response to criticism of Valentino’s “guccification”? Perhaps it is. Or simply a more personal chapter, where we understand that dreams can exist without overkill.
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