Alessandro Michele is the Italian designer who, during his seven year tenure as creative director at Gucci, made maximalism a meal ticket for the brand.<\/p>\n
His challenge now is to bring the same hot sauce to Valentino. He\u2019s been in the top creative job for just 30 months but time moves fast in fashion and he\u2019s already rolled out 10 collections and four catwalk shows. At Paris fashion week<\/a> on Sunday afternoon, he ticked off show number five.<\/p>\n A series of satin bustier tops paired with knee-length skirts opened the show. Some skirts were almost see-through in gauzy fabrics. Some came smothered in glimmering beads or trimmed with feathers or both.<\/p>\n The show may have been held at the Sainte-Genevi\u00e8ve library but these were clothes made for the dancefloor. The debauched partying mood dominated menswear too, with creased trousers and silky boxers peaking out above their waistbands and mis-buttoned double-breasted blazers. Michele said he liked playing with \u201cthe idea of glamour in the wrong way\u201d.<\/p>\n The reaction to Michele at Valentino has been mixed. In a turbulent luxury market, its revenue declined 15% to \u20ac1.12bn in 2025. Michele\u2019s opulent outlook has been slightly out of step with fashion\u2019s vanilla era. However, the reign of quiet luxury is quietly coming to a close; \u201cpersonality dressing\u201d is on the rise and Michele is poised in the wings.<\/p>\n Longer length ruffle and bow-adorned dresses had Hollywood written all over them. Photo: Abdul Saboor\/Reuters Photograph: Abdul Saboor\/Reuters<\/p>\n Speaking after the show, Michele described \u201csensuality as part of the vocabulary of the brand\u201d. This time around he had pared back his signature voluminous silhouettes, instead focusing on exposing skin.<\/p>\n