Alessandro Michele just surprise-dropped his first Valentino collection

Fashion maximalists who have spent the recent era of ‘quiet luxury’ feeling nauseated rejoice: Alessandro Michele just dropped his first collection (Resort 2025) for Valentino, and to say there is a lot going on would be an understatement. In a sepia-toned lookbook debuted on the final day of the SS25 menswear shows in Milan, the designer goes for the same more-is-more look that defined his blockbuster tenure at the helm of Gucci.

Across the 171-look-strong line-up  are prim princess coats crafted from bouclé, chic twin-sets with Peter Pan collars, tweedy high-waisted trousers with wide bell-bottoms, and a standout cheetah-print shirt and skirt combo trimmed with brown faux fur. 

Taking inspiration from the Valentino archives, but never directly referencing any era, collection, or lodestone, Michele’s infatuation with the 70s shows no signs of abating, and all the accoutrements that became a hallmark of his Gucci were present again: models looked like they’d fallen headfirst into their granny’s jewellery box and piled on everything they could find, including big, chunky chains, saucer-like sunglasses, and pearl-encrusted door-knocker earrings. 

Despite Valentino Garavani himself being known for refined evening gowns and a sense of stripped back glamour, in a Vogue interview heralding the arrival of Michele’s first collection, the Italian designer insisted Garavani was not a minimalist: “[He was] rather a maximalist, even in the 70s when he was at his most streamlined,” he explained. “There was always a very Roman sense of opulence and excess to his work distilled through an obsession for beauty.” 

Perhaps on purpose, the collection comes on the same day Sabato De Sarno is set to debut his own SS25 offering for Gucci on the final day of Milan Fashion Week. De Sarno was transplanted from heading up the design team at Valentino to the top spot of Michele’s old gig in 2023, and has been quietly exorcising Gucci of Michele’s spirit across the last few seasons – De Sarno’s vision for Gucci is a lot cleaner and understated, with the designer intent on kitting out cool young things in slouchy jeans, classic pea coats, and nipped tailoring. 

With De Sarno’s SS25 offering debuting just a few hours from now (June 17), click through the gallery above for a closer look at the Valentino Resort 2025 collection.