Alessandro Michele’s Valentino Debut: Pavillon des Folies

At Valentino, a new era is unfolding. Marked by a familiar exploration of times past, endless frills and flounces, and an unmistakable maximalist air recognizable from miles away, newly appointed creative director Alessandro Michele finds his spot at the house for his very first runway show this Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2025.

Entitled “Pavillon des Folies”, Michele’s PFW debut collection is an exploration on the meaning of beauty as an enduring inspiration for life, unveiling a new universe from which Valentino begins its next chapter.

“Beauty can represent a remedy for the anguish that arises from the ephemeral and undetermined nature of our destiny. An anchor to navigate within that ‘pavillon des folies’ we call life,” the director expresses in his show letter.

The show took place on a mirrored, broken-glass floor in a candlelit room filled with statues and chairs covered in sheets, calling to mind a grand home long abandoned. The designer has always had a talent for setting the scene. Enter Jared Leto, Florence Welch, and Harry Styles, and the mood – dreamy, transportive, very Michele – was well-defined.

The collection drew from the ’20s, ’30s, ’60s, ’80s and beyond, taking inspiration from the Valentino archives in a way only Michele could achieve. Simply put, it had all of the cinematic flare we’d hoped for (and expected) from the creative. Dainty, exquisitely detailed looks in vibrant, flamboyant colors came full of cascading ruffles, lace moments, silver embroidery, and micro-polka dots. A navy blazer with a deep cut, worn with nothing underneath and tied with a large, delicate red bow in place of a button; an emerald-green, bead-embellished gown with an extensive fur trim; otherworldly, almost gossamer chiffon dresses—these were a few of the time-traveling garments. Radiant ballooning purple pants were followed by a drop waist, black and white top with striped bow after bow. Each piece was a statement, made more so with characteristically lavish styling. Romance was in great supply.