Fashion moves fast, but Valentino's new creative director moves faster.
Less than two months after stepping into his role at the house, Alessandro Michele (formerly of Gucci) shared his first designs for Valentino on June 16, well ahead of his planned spring 2025 debut. The resulting resort 2025 collection for men and women features 191 ready-to-wear looks that are heavily inspired by Valentino's archive and Michele's tastes. Vogue. “I'll probably be remembered as the one who has the distinction of getting things done quickly,” he says.
Also of note is the inclusion of many, many arcs. After 2023 was repeatedly hailed as the year of the bow, we're now seeing anxious post-mortems discussing the end of the accent; but in an apparent rejection of that statement, most of the women's footwear in Michele's new collection features laces. Simple slippers in satin, white leather or floral prints with bows at the toe. Strappy evening shoes with jewel-encrusted bows. Mary Janes with rubber soles and large lace closures. The slippers lace up at the ankles like pointe shoes.
Around the neck, we see small bow appliqués and the return of the exaggerated bows that brought a degree of androgyny to Michele's early menswear looks at Gucci. And finally, bows are found in the hair not as ribbons, but as jeweled barrettes or sculptural brooches.
Gone are the girly, flexible ties we fell in love with last year. Here, they are reduced to their more traditional role as decorative ornaments and practical closures, joining a chorus of fringes, knots, tassels, ruffles, clasps and other archive-inspired details. So while the arches may not be the only feature that matters, they are still strong.
