Valentino Haute Couture S/S 2025 Paris

[TomBlanksFullFatMiuMiu]

Fendi Couture Fall 2019 did the big patchwork dresses better
So fresh, light, cool and modern

 

[GivenchyAddict]

So dated. I am so ready for Slimane at Valentino.

 

[lhhbl]

can anybody post the BOF review here? apparently they didn't like it

 

[Frederic01]

can anybody post the BOF review here? apparently they didn't like it

The Verdict on Alessandro Michele’s Valentino Couture Debut​

The star designer opted for a multimedia performance over a traditional couture defilé, with dresses that were more convincing as costumes than clothes, reports Angelo Flaccavento.

By ANGELO FLACCAVENTO 29 January 2025
https://www.businessoffashion.com/professional/

PARIS — “I don’t want to disappoint anybody, but I am not a tailor, and not even a couturier: I am well versed in the theory of dressmaking, and am good with pins after all these years, but I can’t make things with my hands,” admitted Valentino designer Alessandro Michele in a press conference after the electronic grand guignol of his first ever couture show. “When I was a kid, I wanted to be a costume designer — and I think it shows in what I do.”

Show it did. The outing Wednesday afternoon at Palais Brongniart was a blast: more multimedia performance than couture defilé for which the clothes were indeed costumes. This was clearly no traditional couture set up. The room was pitch black as guests were escorted to their seats; stadium bleachers in place of gilded chairs. And in place of the ordre de passage, a thick A4 envelope was laid on each seat. Inside, a text signed “Alessandro” rhapsodised over the “vertigo of the list” (inspired by a magnificent Umberto Eco essay) before describing each of the show’s 48 looks as a list of words. And as each look took the stage to blaring sounds and blinding lights, a screen displayed the list of words associated with it, along with its number.

The effect was vertiginous indeed — an assault even. Then there were the characters in their costumes: dramatic and abrasive in their opulence, donning crinolines, floaty capes, tailleurs, harlequin and pierrot regalia and so on. But the thing about a performance is that you have to be there in the moment to get the full effect, and this extends to the costumes. Therein was the problem with the collection: as costumes within the performance, the pieces were a blast; stripped of the performance, less so, despite the atelier’s exquisite execution.

Michele’s work has often wandered into luxuriant quotation and, in this collection, one could see, alongside the Valentino archive, a wild and wonderful pillaging from costume designer Danilo Donati, and what he did for Pasolini, as well as historic paintings, a bit of Vivienne Westwood, Leigh Bowery and quite a lot of Demna, who was in the audience. This, of course, informed a few shapes, but mostly the character-building, which was new and exciting.

The cast, with many ageing beauties, truly made the spectacle and brought the dresses to angular life. There was a crudeness to the whole endeavour that felt promising, though what the Valentino couture clientele will make of it is anyone’s guess. (Michele said that once the crinolines are removed, the dresses change). It will be interesting to see where the designer goes from here. His next couture show is in a year from now. “Couture requires time, and we have to take care of it,” Michele said backstage. That’s a luxury but also a curse.

BUSINESS OF FASHION

 

[lhhbl]

BUSINESS OF FASHION

Thank you!

 

[HiHelloHowAreYou]

 

[Xone]

BUSINESS OF FASHION

Angelo wasn't that harsh but still calling your clothes costume it indicates something...Someome must give him work as costume designer really...but carry Valentino is big on him...

 

[GIVENCHYlover]

That's what I call a glorious entrance (your first message here on the forum)

 

[brandon J pierre]

And this sums up the whole couture fashion week. God I miss that man!
When designers don't sketch and draw they lose a big part of the fantasy that comes from there actual brain. The idea becomes someone else idea and so on and so on and so on. Dressmaking and designing our two different things that have to collide perfectly especially in couture and Valentino was amazing at that and so was Versace McQueen and so on and so on but these not so young designers don't really get it.

 

[Grets]

BOF has been gassing Michele up these past few months, along with Jacquemus. Wonder what happened? This collection is maximal and monstrous but its what is to be expected.

 

[reese06]

That's what I call a glorious entrance (your first message here on the forum)

 

[Lola701]

BUSINESS OF FASHION

His next Couture is a year from now? So no show for FW2025?
Oh they are scaling things back.

It was indeed costumes. Reproductions, styling but no creation.

 

[Alquimista]

And this sums up the whole couture fashion week. God I miss that man!
When designers don't sketch and draw they lose a big part of the fantasy that comes from there actual brain. The idea becomes someone else idea and so on and so on and so on. Dressmaking and designing our two different things that have to collide perfectly especially in couture and Valentino was amazing at that and so was Versace McQueen and so on and so on but these not so young designers don't really get it.

Nowadays there are software like clo3d that are amazing for prototype. So Its easier now than ever to create a design. The hard part is to create good design.

 

[brandon J pierre]

His next Couture is a year from now? So no show for FW2025?
Oh they are scaling things back.

It was indeed costumes. Reproductions, styling but no creation.

Just imagine now back in Valentino's hay days in the seventies and eighties and nineties he used to do to a collections with over 70 pieces. Now they have a whole year to do about 20 looks that's bad

 

[tourbillions]

his time has passed...either he edit out his ideas or he wil be out soon

 

[Monsieur Cristobal]

When Fashion goes to the extreme, it is sometimes labelled as "unwearable" or "inappropriate".
Dior Spring 2004 Haute Couture is for drag queens.
Comme des Garçons is a performance.
Valentino is doing costumes.
But I will always look with good eyes such experiments. I find often in them Fashion at the height of its power.
If afterwards someone wears it or not, is unimportant to me, as long as the model can walk the runway.