In his own way, Alessandro Michele invited Valentino spring 2027 showgoers to proverbially touch grass amid the endless scroll of fashion month. The Italian designer instructed his guests on October 4 to bring a book with them to his latest show during Paris Fashion Week, to be donated to local libraries. The notion stemmed from the concept of the antilibrary, originated by Umberto Eco and popularized by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, which refers to a collection of unread books. Michele wrote in the collection notes that he understands them to be “not a monument to erudition,” but a “tangible presence of what we still do not” know. He likened it to the way fashion operates: Brands will ideate and bring to life clothes that might not make it out of the studio or past the runway; and even if something makes it into production—into the wardrobes of customers—it might not be worn out in the world. Still, that doesn’t take away from what they represent.
“Many of the garments that we see in a fashion show belong entirely to the realm of potentiality. Their significance is not exhausted by the definition of use value; rather, it extends to what they make conceivable,” he wrote. “From this angle, fashion operates not only on the present of consumption, but also on a reservoir of virtuality that continuously exceeds its actual realization.”
Spring 2027 was indeed an exploration of possibility and imagination. And Michele’s design language feels in conversation with founder Valentino Garavani’s earliest collections from the ’60s and ’70s. Both are fluent in frilly finishes, mismatched patterns, and artful prints. This season, the fit was closer to the body and mostly stripped back to the foundational, exemplified by a series of bustier tops paired to pencil skirts, either finely pleated, fully embellished, or accented with a feathered trim.
There was no lack of whimsy. Hems undulated, fluffed, ballooned, or poofed. The colors were expansive, rich, and saturated. Delineations between casual and formal were nonexistent: Oversize checked shirts were tucked into sheer embellished party skirts; polished collarless jackets were styled with loose, pleated printed pants; longline blazer dresses with jewel buttons down the front were worn over lace biker shorts. The overall effect was something akin to “rolled out of bed and went straight to the function,” with a little more sophistication (and a lot more sparkle).
There was also plenty of humor throughout, as seen in the skirts with trompe l’oeil bow-and-tassel embroidery, silky printed boxers peeking out above the waistline of a trouser, and baseball caps with “Villain Teen” embroidered across the front. The latter will certainly be in competition with the strappy rosette sandals for hit accessory of the season.
Michele also delivered on the red-carpet-ready showstoppers that likely had Colman Domingo, Samara Weaving, Cynthia Erivo, Alexander Skarsgård, and more perking up in their front-row seats. Who’s calling dibs on the over-the-jacket cummerbund?
