By Seth Khouri
It has been two years since Alessandro Michele assumed the helm of Valentino. Around this stage in a designer’s tenure, comfortability often begins to settle in—a topic we’ve revisited throughout this fall/winter fashion month. Michele, however, occupies a singular position. Comfortability arrived unusually early, allowing his signature flourishes to emerge distinctly within the maison. This early confidence has granted him a rare degree of freedom in his design process, allowing him to reinterpret Valentino’s codes with fluidity while still communicating his own integral vision. On paper, this appears an enviable position, yet it is inevitably shadowed by the passing of Valentino Garavani earlier this year. Michele finds himself at a delicate crossroads, reflecting that he is designing “for a brand that does not bear your name, and this tension leads to what you are seeing,” culminating in his latest collection, aptly titled Interferenze.
This season, Michele staged his offering within the storied halls of Palazzo Barberini, returning to the maison’s birthplace in what felt like a beautifully orchestrated swan song to the late founder. “I love this house and there is no reason at all to tear down what was done before,” he shared. From the first look, the collection was a testament to his ability to marry homage with invention. Signature flourishes abounded: elaborate knots and pleats across mens’ and womens’ overcoats, cropped jackets in leopard and fur, silk scarves, boxy shoulders, billowy trousers, and tactile furs, all executed in a harmony that spoke to the dialogue between Michele and Garavani. Colour played a key role, punctuating the collection with joyous bursts of bright pinks, cyan green, electric blue, coral orange, and lavender against more muted foundations.
Womenswear allowed Michele to run wild. Fur shawls draped over feather-neck blouses, lace skirts were paired with golden tunics, and deep-cut v-neck plaid jackets popped against sheer hosiery—contrasting elements balanced with surgical precision. Menswear offered a restrained counterpoint: billowy pleated trousers and double-breasted blazers recurred alongside cumberbunds as a unifying motif. Look 21 paired a slate-grey blazer with charcoal pleated trousers, disrupted by a golden cumberbund and electric-blue sneakers. Look 32 swapped the cumberbund for a panelled leather waist bag beneath a floral-printed tunic.
By shining a light on Valentino’s codes while asserting his own creative voice, Michele’s FW26 offering emerges as his most assured collection yet. It is a confident, celebratory statement—one that honors the maison’s rich legacy while signalling a clear and dynamic future, confirming that Michele is not merely occupying the role of creative director, but actively shaping the next chapter of Valentino with both reverence and audacious imagination.