Valentino’s latest campaign doesn’t conform to the relentless acceleration of modern life — it lingers. In a deliberate act of resistance against the rapid consumption and insatiable thirst for newness that currently plagues both fashion and society, creative director Alessandro Michele chooses instead to revisit and expand upon the themes explored in the House’s Autumn/Winter 2025–2026 show, ‘Le Méta Théâtre Des Intimités’.
Reappearing at the heart of the campaign is the striking, bright red tiled public bathroom — a key visual from the runway show. For Michele, it serves as more than a backdrop. It is a powerful liminal space, suspended between the public and the private. Here, intimacy and performance collide, private and relational dimensions overlap, the visible challenges the invisible, decency wrestles with guilty pleasure, and exposure entwines with concealment.
The campaign brings together a diverse cast of talents, including singer-songwriter Clairo, visual artist Kembra Pfahler, and model Aimée Byrne, alongside Isabella, Shane Stevens, Hana J., Sanique, Weiyi Fang, Bokwop Kir, Paul Scally, and Giuseppe Cirillo. Shot by Glen Luchford under the scarlet glow of the bathroom, the imagery is drenched in sensuality and tension. Each character floats between vulnerability and self-possession, creating an atmosphere charged with intimacy and longing.
These themes are further heightened in the campaign video. A model leans quietly against a closed stall door while another blurs past. Pfahler peers through a rounded peephole into the restroom, disrupting the boundary between observer and participant. A convex mirror catches a corner of the room as figures slip in and out – a reminder that what is meant to be private is somehow always exposed. Shoes peek from beneath the stalls, hinting at the unseen stories within. Rounded mirrors capture fragments of desire, of self-reflection. In one moment, a model chops off her hair into the sink, a Valentino bag carefully framed in view; in another, a character reclines in a rectangular bathtub, dressed in sheer, skin-tight lace.
The collection’s intimate and overtly feminine silhouettes provide a striking contrast to the utilitarian setting. Pastel lace tops, faux fur-trimmed jackets, going-out tops paired with denim, and tights worn as trousers all reflect Michele’s vision – one that blends nostalgia, desire, and defiance. They are more than just garments; they’re a second skin.
photography. Courtesy of Valentino
words. Amber Louise
























































