In Valentino's Powder Room, Maximalism Reigned, Vans Debuted, and Furry Details Proved Their Worth

When the likes of Parker Posey, Barry Keoghan, Chappell Roan, Alexa Chung, and Nara Smith arrived at today's Valentino show during Paris Fashion Week, I doubt they were expecting to walk into what the French fashion house's creative director, Alessandro Michele, referred to in a press release as a "public toilet." Don't get me wrong; it was undoubtedly the chicest public toilet I've ever seen, but still. What they did expect, I'm sure, was a collection full of opulent, maximalist-leaning ensembles like those Michele's been known for since his days at Gucci, where he held the role of creative director for seven years. For that, they got exactly what they came for.

Michele's F/W 25 Valentino collection, titled Le Méta-Théatre Des Intimités, consisted of 80 looks worn by models strolling in and out of individual stalls inside a Lynchian set made to look like a cherry-red bathroom full of mirrors, flickering lights, and haze-inducing Lana Del Rey vocals. According to show notes, the offering was inspired by intimacy and the vast number of ways society has affected our ability to be authentically intimate. From this, Michele questioned "the dualism between inside and outside, between what is intimate and what is exposed, between the personal and the collective, between what remains private and what is meant to be shared, between depth and surface." These internal dialogues led to sheer lace and mesh lingerie being mixed in with conservative skirt- and pantsuits—full transparency and a state of being almost entirely concealed.

No matter which side of the intimacy coin each look landed on, loud luxury showed its hand, with furry details, colorful lace hosiery, blue-tinted eyewear, and even a Vans collab also making an appearance on the runway this season. For more, keep scrolling.

Maximalism's the Word

Where Michele goes, maximalism follows, and his second ready-to-wear collection for Valentino was hardly an exception. In one look, a model donning a striped and velvet bow–clad skirt set layered a jacket made of gold sequins and fur trimmings on top. She also wore a lace cap and matching tights, a long beaded necklace, blue knit socks, and fur booties. Another model was styled in a gold cropped jacket with one black-and-white polka-dot sleeve paired with a pink lace bodysuit and off-white polka-dot peplum skirt. Even the simpler ensembles featured loud moments, from blue-tinted eyewear to studded shoulder bags.

Vans and Valentino

Allegedly, the checkerboard and otherwise patterned lace-up sneakers that at least seven of the models at today's Valentino show were wearing are part of a forthcoming collaboration with California skate brand Vans, with Valentino putting its own spin on Vans' beloved Authentic silhouette. Though puddle pants covered up most of the designs throughout the show, checkerboard styles in both hot pink and black and red and black definitely made the cut, as did one white, blue, and, red pair printed with "I love my Vans and Valentino" using the heart emoji and both brands' logos on all sides.

The Powder Room Chronicles

Michele's deep dive into intimacy led him to commission a "dystopian, disturbing, Lynchian space: a temporarily autonomous space, free from the codification of norms," he wrote in the show notes about the F/W 25 show's powder room set design. "A space of appearance (H. Arendt) where intimacy reclaims its role of identity construction, through dressing and undressing." Viewers sat facing a long row of red toilet stalls broken up by two porcelain sinks accompanied by overhead lights and mirrors. Models walked in and out of the stalls, pausing at different times to stand in front of the sinks and examine themselves. The low-lit space and all-red surroundings are easy to trace back to David Lynch's catalog of work, which was also referenced at Khaite and Coach this season following the great TV and filmmaker's passing in January.

"What Is Intimate and What Is Exposed?"

One question from Valentino's F/W 25 show notes felt especially tied to the looks that debuted on the runway: "What is intimate and what is exposed?" Throughout the show, models switched off between wearing next to no clothing—mostly in the form of sheer, lace lingerie—and being swathed in garments including high-neck jackets and blazers, layered turtlenecks, puddled trousers, and headgear ranging from balaclavas to newsboy caps. Intimacy, in Michele's eyes, can be interpreted sartorially in a variety of ways.

Who's There?

As always, Valentino drew a crowd of chic A-listers, including Who What Wear's November cover star, Nara Smith; Charlotte Lawrence; The White Lotus's Parker Posey; Chappell Roan (who appears to be enjoying her first fashion month having also sat front row at Alexander McQueen, Ludovic de Saint Sernin, Vivienne Westwood, and Rick Owens); Barry Keoghan; and Alexa Chung. All were dressed in their Valentino best, showcasing a mix of feathers, lace, and leather.