Valentino Unveils Maximalist Collection at Paris Library

Alessandro Michele presented Valentino’s Antibiblioteca collection at the 19th-century Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève in Paris, sending models past bookshelves and stacks. Looks included tight silk corset tops in bright blue, yellow and hot pink, lace skirts and tops trimmed with ostrich feathers, and a final floor-length red gown with an oversized black bow. Guests including Alexander Skarsgard, Cynthia Erivo, Law Roach and Yidan Huang arrived carrying books for photographers and sat at long oak reading tables with green lamps beneath iron arches. Michele has led Valentino since March 2024 after eight years as Gucci creative director. The house recorded a €103 million loss last year as revenue fell 15 percent. Mayhoola owns 70 percent and Kering 30 percent, with Kering holding options to raise its stake to 100 percent before 2029. No factual disputes appear across the rated coverage on dates, figures or ownership. Elle Magazine foregrounds maximalism and a party-ready mood against a more restrained season elsewhere. Modern Diplomacy leads with the historic library, corsets and bold jewellery, and the sales-revival pressure on Michele.