Déjà Vu All Over Again
Review of Valentino Fall 2025 Fashion Show
By Mark Wittmer
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
Archival homage. Neo-Victorian maximalism. Dress vs. undress.
Alessandro Michele’s latest collection for Valentino was another eclectic and intricate display of the designer’s vintage-obsessed, era-crossing neo-Victorian maximalism that carried him to huge success at Gucci. But has he answered our lingering questions of why this is the right direction for Valentino, and whether it still matters today?
But before the collection came down the runway, what first struck the audience was the set itself – a liminal reincarnation of a public bathroom, washed in almost Lynchian red lighting. Obviously not the first place we might think of where a Valentino look would be most of home, the provocative choice of setting pointed to a theme of intimacy and blurred boundaries between the spheres of private and social.
That theme was picked up by the sheer bodystockings, lacy unitards, peekaboo paneling, and underwear-as-outerwear that brought a whiff of the scandalous to Michele’s takes on archive and antique fashions. Valentino’s 60s and 80s eras served as a main point of reference, but with an amped-up sense of hedonistic glam courtesy of fur and feather trims, oversized bows, and sparkle.
Smartly, the accessories felt more timeless and attuned to contemporary wearability, with a few expressive riffs and reworked details on the house’s enduring classics.
THE DIRECTION
THE QUOTE
There is the idea of dressing ourselves, who we are. There is our intimate relationship with garments and then also, there was something very intimate in Valentino’s designs—it’s an intimate relationship with creation.”
THE WRAP UP
Michele alludes to the act of creation, but has he really created something here? The craftsmanship is beautiful, and the free-spiritedness with which the looks are styled does feel exciting – but does playing dress-up with archival pieces belong on a Valentino runway in 2025?
The collection is not “bad” by any means, but it’s also impossible to say it’s “good,” because it feels devoid of any statement or point of view whatsoever. Any of these looks could have been dropped into one of Michele’s previous collections for Valentino, or even at Gucci, and it wouldn’t make a noticeable difference. Even if those collections were spectacular, they happened already; it’s impossible to get excited about them for the 50th time – especially as the atmosphere of fashion is so different now than it was when Michele’s vision first felt fresh.
Michele is a smart designer with a lot of love for fashion to give. There’s a way for him to stay true to himself, to honor the heritage of Valentino, and to create something that feels necessary and now. We are still waiting to see it.
