Alessandro Michele brings unread books, imaginary titles, and extravagant clothes together for Antibiblioteca, a collection about what we might discover next.
Buying a book is easy. Finding the time to read it can take considerably longer. That growing pile beside the bed probably doesn’t need another addition, but Alessandro Michele has given it a place in the fashion conversation.
For Valentino Spring/Summer 2027, the designer turned to unread books as a starting point. His collection, Antibiblioteca, considers what books and clothes let us imagine before we ever open them or put them on.
A novel bought on impulse and a dress saved to a mood board can both belong to a life we’re curious about. That connection gives the collection’s clothes a familiar point of entry.
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What an unread book has to do with Valentino
Michele’s show notes reference Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s The Black Swan, which discusses Umberto Eco’s extensive personal library. Taleb calls a collection of unread books an “antilibrary.” Its value comes from keeping everything we still don’t know within sight.
Michele connects this with tsundoku, the Japanese practice of buying books and allowing them to accumulate unread. In his reading, those volumes hold possibilities: ideas to encounter, stories to discover, and perspectives we haven’t considered.
He extends that thought to clothing. A runway dress can stay with someone through a photograph or a memory, even if they never wear it. The collection invites viewers to enjoy that imaginative part of fashion, too.
Satin bustiers, enormous bows, and room for another necklace
The clothes offer plenty to look at. Jewel-colored satin bustiers pair with knee-length skirts, while a jeweled jacket meets lace cycling shorts. Some evening looks keep their shapes relatively simple, then let a dramatic train change the view from behind.
Other pieces take up considerably more room. A strapless hot-pink gown features a sculptural ruffle and a black bow. Oversized bows, feather trims, opera gloves, and layered necklaces add to the extravagance, with lilac, yellow, green, and pink keeping the palette lively.
These are clothes that encourage a little daydreaming. Where would that gown go? What would happen if the necklaces kept piling up? Through the collection’s literary theme, those questions become part of the pleasure of looking.
A bibliography you can’t buy and books you can
Michele also produced an imaginary bibliography, complete with fictional authors and ISBNs. A Garden of Small Errors, Elsewhere Is a Precise Place, and The Social Life of Velvet were among the titles. They sound convincing enough to send someone looking for a copy.
The guests supplied actual reading material. Valentino asked attendees to bring books for donation to local libraries. Cynthia Erivo chose James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room, spotted also is Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Ragazzi di vita, and Oisín McKenna’s Evenings and Weekends. It’s an apt choice for a fashion show, where a change in shape, texture, or styling can give a familiar garment another personality.
Once the show ended, the donated books could find other readers. The runway offered plenty of wardrobe inspiration. It also left a few good additions for the reading list.
Watch the entire collection below:
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