By Kenneth Goh - published
On a dark Roman evening heavy with rain, the arrival scene outside Palazzo Barberini had a cinematic intensity. Umbrellas everywhere, headlights bouncing off wet cobblestones, security ushering guests quickly through the palace doors. The front row assembled quietly but powerfully: Gwyneth Paltrow, Tyla, Lily Allen, Charles Melton, Colman Domingo, alongside Thai stars Jeff Satur and Freen Sarocha, drawing a wave of attention as they slipped into the palace. It was the necessary celebrity theatre before the room settled into something more contemplative. We were gathered here to witness Alessandro Michele’s vision for Valentino in his hometown of Rome.
The setting itself carried enormous symbolic weight. Earlier that day, I visited St. Peter’s Basilica, where Catholic architecture perfected the language of grandeur centuries ago. That same sense of spectacle lingered in the air tonight.
Inside Palazzo Barberini, Baroque drama unfolded through frescoes and towering ceilings, making it a fitting stage for Michele’s fall/winter 2026 show. Michele titled the collection “Interferenze”, a word that hints at friction. That tension ran through the entire show, staged on a carpet of scattered leaves and synthetic lawn laid across the marble floors of the centuries-old palace.
Colour led the charge. Deep magentas, mustard yellows, velvety plums and emerald greens appeared in unexpected combinations that somehow felt instinctively harmonious. Drape, pleats, chiffon, lace, leather and faux fur layered together in Michele’s signature way, creating looks that felt richly textured yet surprisingly controlled. He has always had a painter’s instinct for colour and contrast. In a country that gave the world masters like Caravaggio and Bernini, that sensitivity to palette felt especially resonant.
Silhouettes oscillated between control and softness. Structured jackets revealed elaborate knots and pleats at the back, quietly revisiting Valentino Garavani’s famous obsession with how a garment looks from behind. Fluid skirts cascaded from the hips in soft folds, while chiffon blouses were cinched with satin cummerbunds, reimagining the classic menswear accessory as something playful and feminine. Some of my favourite men’s looks were grounded with box-fresh New Balance sneakers, which added a sporty counterpoint to otherwise glamorous evening pieces.
Hints of the 1980s archive surfaced too. Shoulders held a subtle strength. Waists were defined with bold bands of colour. Evening looks carried a sense of confident glamour, with swathes of lace and chiffon drifting against bare skin.
And then came the closing moment. A backless Valentino red gown, held together by a delicate gold chain running down the spine. Simple, sensual, unmistakably Valentino.
Outside, the rain continued to fall over Rome. Inside, Michele had delivered something that felt both reverent and quietly rebellious. Beauty rarely comes from perfect harmony. It comes from layers, collisions and centuries speaking over each other.