For his Fall Winter 2025-2026 debut at Valentino, Alessandro Michele dismantles convention, reinterpreting the house’s storied elegance through a lens of raw intimacy and subversion. Le Méta: Théâtre Des Intimités unfolds in an unexpected mise-en-scène—a public restroom bathed in red light—transforming an ordinary, liminal space into a stage for theatrical self-expression, gender fluidity, and contemporary anxieties.

Evoking a Lynchian surrealism, the setting challenges notions of privacy and spectacle, mirroring Michele’s approach to fashion: a poetic manipulation of the past to reflect the now. The collection rejects traditional Valentino tropes of pristine glamour, instead embracing an undone, lived-in aesthetic. Slouchy tweed trousers, v-neck sweaters, and faux fur jackets exude a nonchalant ease, while bustier tops and high-waisted jeans weave in an undercurrent of sensuality. A collaboration with Vans introduces an irreverent streetwear dynamic, further dismantling the boundaries between high fashion and everyday dressing.

Unfinished hems, knit headbands, and unsnapped bodysuits imbue the collection with an intentional rawness—an invitation to see beauty in imperfection. Yet, Michele’s signature eccentricity remains omnipresent: a surreal cat-face dress, ethereal gowns in silk georgette and lace, and a razor-sharp black dress with a plunging neckline and thigh-high slit punctuate the lineup with elements of the fantastical.

By rejecting the rigid codes of old-world jet-set luxury, Michele redefines Valentino for an era marked by complexity, fluidity, and artistic rebellion. Le Méta: Théâtre Des Intimités is not just a collection—it is a conversation, an interrogation of identity, and an audacious reimagining of what Valentino can be in a world where nothing is as it once seemed.