Valentino’s Michele upends high fashion by setting Paris show inside staged public toilets

Valentino paraded high fashion inside public toilets in one of the season's most unexpected backdrops, especially for a house as classical as Valentino. The set was a meticulous recreation, down to the tiling, soap dispensers, mirrors and endless rows of stalls, all bathed in an unsettling, almost seedy red light.

Partly inspired by David Lynch, the space set the tone for Alessandro Michele's provocative new vision. With a background in costume design, Michele infuses his collections with inspirations from theater and film, crafting narratives as much as he does garments. It was one of the standout shows in Paris this season, drawing a front row as eclectic as the collection itself. Chappell Roan, Parker Posey, Jared Leto and Barry Keoghan sat amid the crimson glow, their presence adding to the surreal energy of the day.

Michele often selects venues with deep historical or cultural significance - think palaces - so this public toilet setting was a clever subversion, even of his own signature style. The result? A show that explored the boundaries between public and private, intimacy and exposure, and the ever-blurred lines of identity in contemporary fashion.

Models emerged from toilet cubicles, some stopping to inspect their faces in the mirrors, blurring the line between personal and performative. The clothes were pure theatricality: caps, hoods, and dark shades concealing the face, while sheer nude tops exposed breasts and the intimacy of the body, a direct contrast between covering up and revealing.

Michele's designs are characterized by a kaleidoscopic mix of times and cultures, blending elements from different historical periods to create a unique aesthetic. He considers himself an "art archaeologist," exploring how adornment and embellishment have evolved over the centuries.

One striking example: intricately embroidered lingerie with an opulent silken bust and stiff Victorian collar, its crotch flap left provocatively undone, as if the model had rushed to the restroom. Baroque motifs and 18th-century ruffles clashed with oversized, washed-out denim jeans, while his signature maximalist mix of leopard print, faux fur, and tweed created a tension-like the most opulent thrift store imaginable.

There were so many styles, they defied description. And that was the point. The overloaded looks were intentional, a singular vision of excess that defines Michele's aesthetic and cements his legacy as a designer who refuses to conform.

The audience buzzed with excitement. "He's upending Valentino in the same way Demna did at Balenciaga," one front-row guest remarked. The applause was loud, the reaction immediate. This wasn't just a collection, it was a statement, disruptive and irreverent, pulling classical fashion into new, unexpected territory.

Michele framed the show as a meditation on identity and intimacy. He described the public toilet as a "counter-place" that blurs the distinction between public and private, intimacy and exposure, calling it "a space where the ritual of caring for intimacies” exists. For him, it is a "proudly political" setting in its ability to subvert classification.

With this, Michele proved that his fashion isn't just about dressing up - it's about the push and pull of identity, the tension between concealment and exposure. And above all, storytelling at its most provocative.