Thought it was all over? You thought wrong! Paris Fashion Week might have finished earlier this week, but the party continued last night in Rome. Yesterday evening (March 12), Valentino took over the Italian capital with its AW26 ready-to-wear show, where creative director Alessandro Michele paid tribute to the brand’s history. 

Back in January, Michele showed his SS26 Valentino couture show, 10 days after the death of the brand’s founder, Valentino Garavani. “The press release had already been sent to print and all the work was in its final stages, too advanced to be reversed,” wrote Michele in a statement at the time. “Today Valentino's absence is real, tangible. It tears open a deep and painful void. Nevertheless, his presence is still warmly felt. In the places he lived, in the gestures he taught, in the way his legacy is skillfully carried forward.” 

Almost two months after the Italian designer’s death, yesterday evening, Michele delivered a celebratory tribute that acted as a reminder that Valentino’s legacy lives on. As written in the earlier statement, “We continue to work within this space: not to fill an absence, but to preserve it.” Here’s everything you missed…

WE GOT READY WITH TYLA

Through the pouring rain, a handful of familiar faces still managed to make it to Rome’s 17th century Palazzo Barberini. Shrouded by black umbrellas, brand ambassadors Colman Domingo, Clairo and Mariacarla Boscono all dashed inside, taking their seats front row alongside Gwyneth Paltrow, Lily Allen, PinkPantheress, Britt Lower and Iris Law. Thankfully, the rain didn’t stop us from catching up with Tyla ahead of the show. Stay tuned for the full interview on Dazed Fashion’s Instagram page, coming very soon.

WHY ROME?

Both Michele and Garavani have strong personal ties to Rome. Garavani was born in a small town in northern Italy, but opened his first boutique in Rome in 1960. Michele on the other hand, was born and raised there. The showspace, Palazzo Barberini, was also a pull for the Roman designer, who was inspired by its architectural friction. “Palazzo Barberini is not an architecture at peace,” read the show notes. “The building resists any synthesis between order and movement: it lays bare their forced coexistence, their permanent friction, the interferences produced as they overlap.” The baroque palace was designed by pioneering architects Carlo Maderno, Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini, whose contrasting work inspired the name of today’s show: Interferenze (interference). 

A TOUCH OF RESTRAINT?

Though all the Michele hallmarks were present in this collection – dramatic silhouettes, frou-frou ruffles and liquid draping – things were a little more restrained than we usually expect from the designer. On the whole, both the colour palette and fabrications were toned down, especially during the middle third of the collection. Apart from a chevron stripe here and a floral pattern there, prints were few and far between, while blacks, browns, taupes and greys featured heavily throughout. And in comparison to the couture offering in January, the general amount of sequins and sparkle was remarkably less. Perhaps the restraint was out of respect to the late Mr Valentino?

Having said that, this is an Alessandro Michele collection after all, and the designer couldn’t help but inject a little of his signature flair. A shocking pink taffeta suit was the second look out the gates, a bright orange pleated gown was splotched with big silver flowers, while a dramatic bejewelled cape emerged as the penultimate look.

THE CLOSING LOOK

In January, Michele opened his SS26 couture show with a plunging, batwing gown, rendered in the iconic shade of Valentino Red. The famous colour, also referred to as Rosso Valentino, was first used by Mr Valentino on a strapless tulle dress named ‘La Fiesta’, for his SS59 collection. Yesterday, Michele closed his AW26 show with a simple and understated cowl-neck column gown, also made in Valentino red. After the opening look in January, last night’s closing outfit was a poignant bookend to this chapter, and a fitting tribute to the undisputed emperor of Italian fashion.

Scroll through the gallery at the top of the page for more looks from the collection