Valentino Fall 2026 honors the fashion icon’s legacy with fresh ‘Interferenze’

Alessandro Michele pulls Valentino out of the bustle of Paris Fashion Week for a show that explores the beauty of opposites in Rome.

To create beauty out of chaos—this is what Alessandro Michele, creative director of Valentino, believes his role to be. For the label’s first ready-to-wear show following the passing of founder Valentino Garavani, the designer crafted a collection shaped by contrasts—one that honors the iconic couturier’s enduring legacy of balancing drama with restraint.

To begin with, Michele pulled Valentino out of the bustle of Paris Fashion Week and instead staged its Fall/Winter show in Palazzo Varberini in Rome. It wasn’t just an ode to Garavani, who considers Rome the emotional and cultural heart of his brand, but also a tribute to the transformative mark he left on the world of fashion.

Michele’s selection of Palazzo Varberini as the show’s venue was an intentional move. The palace captures the opposing forces that the designer explores. Its rigid structure contrasts with the grandeur of Pietro da Cortona’s ceiling mural.

“I really wanted to show in Rome but not in a demonstrative way, but to return to the origins of the brand, recovering its grandeur,” he said in an interview with WWD. “Palazzo Barberini alternates this grandeur with intimacy, since this was also a private home. The interiors are Rococo but also show the early signs of Neoclassicism.”

Much like the setting itself, Michele’s collection thrives on friction and unexpected encounters. “[The interiors] really represent the beauty of chaos,” he explained in another interview with Wallpaper Magazine. “This is almost my job, you know, to make and to create the tension and the dialogue between different things.”

The collection, titled Interferenze, is an elegant interplay of “code and deviation, lightness and gravity, rule and profusion, transparency and opacity, conformity and aggression,” Michele wrote in the show notes. “What emerges is a collection that celebrates order while simultaneously revealing its structural vulnerability, exposing it to the possibility of its own overcoming,” Michele muses in his show notes,” he added.

He wove this concept of positive interference with Garavani’s own sensibility and aesthetic, given a contemporary twist for the modern runway. “I love this house and there is no reason at all to tear down what was done before,” the designer remarked.

All his inspirations took form in garments that exude delicate balance. Powerful, structured blazers meet airy, flowing tops. Long, minimalist gown share the spotlight with intricately embroidered mini dresses, while structured menswear is softened by fluid, sweeping fabrics. Sultry touches—sheer fabrics, lace, and plunging necklines—added a provocative contrast to both bold and soft designs.

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Michele’s refined craftsmanship and Garavani’s theatrical opulence conversed in floaty romantic silhouettes, precise pleats, and delicate drapery. Michele added more flair to Garavani’s thoughtful detailing of a garment’s back through the elaborate knots and pleats on the jackets, as well as the gold chain cascading down a backless crimson gown.

The designer injected ‘80s energy through the wide, bold belts that brought playfulness to strong-shouldered tops and jackets. Color was likewise key to Michele’s exploration of contrasts. Valentino Red bursts against mint, lilac, and black, while sandy neutrals steady the palette.

Accessories were more than just finishing touches; they amplified the collection’s vision. Rockstud heels commanded attention with every step along the runway. Oversized necklaces, visor-inspired glasses, furs, and sculptural jewelry elevated the body into a study of architectural form.

More than a title, Interferenze reflects Michele’s creative approach He treats Garavani’s heritage as a living material that can be reworked through memory, inspiration, and innovation. He is out to prove Valentino’s mastery of balancing heritage with the ambition to forge fresh and forward-looking paths.

Watch the full show below: