Valentino has sprung a surprise by unveiling the first silhouettes by Alessandro Michele. He was due to make his debut at Paris Fashion Week on 29 September, but the new creative director unveiled the new direction he intends to take the Roman fashion house in a dense first cruise collection for spring 2025 that clearly bears his stamp.

 
It must surely be a coincidence that this first collection, mischievously entitled ‘Before the Beginnings’, was unveiled on Monday, the last day of the Milan fashion shows, with the Gucci show on the programme, from which Alessandro Michele was sacked in November 2022. The flamboyant designer arrived in early April at the Roman fashion house, which has been owned since 2012 by Mayhoola, the investment company of the royal family of Qatar.
 
In less than three months, he produced a vast collection of 171 looks for women and men, as shown in the lookbook sent to journalists, marking a clear break with the work of his predecessor Pierpaolo Piccioli, who left in March. While the abundance of patterns, colours and precious details that characterised Alessandro Michele’s work at Gucci is still there, the approach seems to have been toned down, with ultra-precious silhouettes for the evening, but also more sober and simple ensembles and pieces for the day, such as polo shirts, shorts with pleats, cardigans, suits and some monochrome looks.

A host of sophisticated accessories

All the same, it’s always very chic, playing on the details to enhance even the most minimalist looks. Jeans, for example, are trimmed with precious fabrics, simulating cuffs at the bottom of the legs. A kimono jacket replaces the traditional blazer. Above all, the emphasis was on a host of sophisticated accessories that immediately defined the silhouette, from white lace socks to precious ribbon belts, bags and jewellery, and even turbans for women.

 
While referring to different periods of the past, the designer focused on the flourishing 1970s, even reinterpreting the looks adopted at the time by founder Valentino Garavani, known for his extreme elegance.

The range includes large blouses in raw cotton, pretty canvas jackets adorned with embroidery and suede satchels with long fringes for men, and gypsy dresses with ruffles, lavallière shirts, capes and mini-skirt suits for women. All in silks and chiffons with floral prints, but also in tulle, velvet and beautiful cotton.
 
Alessandro Michele managed to capture the essence of Valentino in its golden period, when the house dressed the jet-set, without falling into a basic reinterpretation. The famous Valentino red is barely evoked in a few silhouettes or pieces, or diverted, as in this dress with red and white houndstooth checks reminiscent of a ‘trattoria’ tablecloth. He also worked on the all-white look, another Valentino classic. This cruise collection is an initial exploration, which the designer will be exploring in greater depth over the coming months.