Valentino Spring-Summer 2026: Alessandro Michele combats the apocalypse with silk bows and sequined dresses

Alessandro Michele journeys toward the light. In his collection for next spring, the Roman designer pursues that which illuminates and uplifts. With Fireflies, he continues his archival archaeology, opting for fabrics in which brilliance is presented as an unavoidable element: silk, which falls in search of pleats, and velvet, pink or green, alternate with blouses and dresses covered in sequins. The neckline once again becomes the focus of the styles: bows, already established as a symbol of the current Valentino era, adorn V-neck jackets with the same objective as the feathered trims and floral bow ties: to sow the collection with small anchors for joy and beauty. The Roman designer aims to combat the standardization of ideals and the establishment of despair, "a night so dark that it devours differences." He wants, like Italo Calvino, to be able to discern "in the midst of hell, what hell is not, and to seek to preserve it." "Fashion, in this sense, can become a valuable ally. Its task is to illuminate what loves to hide and reveal timid signs of the future. Its power lies in profaning existing flashes of charm and radiant signals brimming with grace. They are fleeting sparks in the darkness, constellations of fireflies that reveal portals of possibility and fuel the imagination with political force"