Alessandro Michele's Valentino Haute Couture debut inspired by Umberto Eco

Alessandro Michele presented his first Haute Couture collection for Valentino during Paris Fashion Week, titled "Vertigineux." The 48-look collection draws inspiration from Umberto Eco's essay on lists as a cultural tool to make sense of infinity. Michele describes each garment as an "uninterrupted catalog" and a "grammatically incorrect list" that accumulates material and immaterial elements. The collection features balze, appliqués, brocades, iridescent fabrics, bows, and light points, creating a narrative archive where improbable combinations find harmony across epochs and cultures. Michele, known for his archaeological and intellectual approach to fashion, positions the collection as a journey into the vertigo of an incomplete multiplicity. The show notes reference Italo Calvino's phrase "a zodiac of ghosts" to describe the interwoven references. Valentino's Haute Couture line, born from the creative genius of Garavani, embraces cultural depth under Michele's direction. The collection was covered by Artribune journalist Giulio Solfrizzi.