Paris Haute Couture Week is in full swing, and Valentino has unveiled its collection titled Specula Mundi. The show was deeply symbolic: it marked the final line created during the lifetime of the fashion house’s founder, Valentino Garavani, who passed away on January 19 at the age of 93.

The format of the presentation was conceptual and strikingly unconventional. Instead of traditional seating, guests were placed in circular rooms, observing the models through small viewing windows. This deliberate distance added an air of mystery to the event and transformed the runway show into something closer to a theatrical performance.

Creative director Alessandro Michele employed the idea of the viewing windows as a reference to the Kaiser-Panorama, a popular late-19th- and early-20th-century device used for the collective viewing of stereoscopic photographs.

The collection itself can confidently be described as a bold expression of eclecticism. The models evoked images of Golden Age Hollywood divas and mythical creatures alike, appearing in looks lavishly embellished with beads and bugle beads, velvet fabrics, fur capes, and golden crowns.

Among the standout pieces on the runway were white jackets inspired by the legendary “White Collection” of 1968, voluminous capes covered in gold sequins worn over turquoise dresses, corsets with oversized Renaissance-style collars, and velvet gowns with exaggerated sleeves.

The final look of the collection was a gold pleated maxi dress.

In the show’s front row, guests included Dakota Johnson in daring lingerie-style shorts, Lily Allen in a polka-dot blouse, and Kirsten Dunst in a playful mini dress.

Photo: Instagram @bella.feoli

One of the final shows of Paris Fashion Week was the presentation of Valentino’s new collection. The brand’s creative director, Alessandro Michele, unveiled a line titled Le Méta-Théâtre des Intimités, or The Meta-Theater of Intimacy, in which the designer explored the idea and power of intimate closeness. To further immerse the audience in his concept, the venue for the show was unconventional — a space transformed into a public restroom, painted in a bold shade of red. According to Michele’s vision, this setting was meant to create an atmosphere of a «dystopian, unsettling space à la David Lynch.»

Numerous star guests came to admire the bohemian collection of the fashion house.

Among the celebrities spotted at the event were actor and musician Jared Leto, model Bianca Balti, Cristiano Ronaldo’s partner Georgina Rodríguez, actor Barry Keoghan, Grammy winner Chappell Roan, and many others.

For this collection, the designer drew inspiration from Valentino’s so-called «golden era», which spanned the 1960s to the 1980s. At the same time, Alessandro Michele infused the line with his signature maximalist approach, layering textures, shapes, and a variety of decorative details.

Models walked the runway in vintage fur coats, cropped coats, collarless blazers, trench coats, and sheepskin jackets. The collection also featured looks with semi-transparent lace bodysuits, satin skirts, and airy slip dresses adorned with ruffles and draping.

The bohemian aesthetic was further emphasized by thematic accessories: head turbans, oversized sunglasses with colored lenses, long necklaces adorned with seashells, feathered collars, bright ties, and balaclavas.

Photo: Instagram @stylemagazineitalia / @brandonlangiano