Alessandro Michele Cites Palazzo Barberini as Inspiration for Valentino Fall/Winter Collection

Valentino creative director Alessandro Michele has named the Palazzo Barberini in Rome as the inspiration behind his current Fall/Winter collection. The early Baroque landmark in the Italian capital shaped the designer's approach to the season, according to his own public statement. Sabine Röthig analyzes Michele's work in the debut installment of her new fashion column, titled "Front Row," published by Monopol. The piece opens with the proposition that fashion, if treated as a house, might operate on principles akin to those of the Roman palazzo. The article appears behind Monopol Plus, the magazine's paid subscription tier, which is offered free for one month and then costs 4,90 € monthly, cancellable with seven days' notice to the end of the contract month. The column frames Michele as a designer whose work invites intellectual reading rather than purely commercial assessment.