Why Valentino’s Fall 2025 Show Took Over a Public Bathroom—Sort Of

Today, we stepped into Alessandro Michele’s mind—or rather, his bathroom. No, seriously. The creative director staged Valentino’s Fall show inside a surreal, David Lynch-coded public restroom. Think red lighting, rows of sterile sinks, and eerily empty toilet stalls (because at Valentino, it’s all about toiles, not toilets).

Then came the flush. A deep, echoing roar filled the space, followed by rows of bare feet appearing under the stall doors. The lights flickered, the doors clicked open, and suddenly, techno music kicked in as models emerged, one by one, heels clacking on the floor. The whole thing felt weirdly intimate—which, as Michele later explained, was exactly the point. “There is the idea of dressing ourselves, who we are,” he mused post-show. Valentino’s legacy, he added, has always been about an intimate connection with clothes and creation itself.

And what a collection it was—pure, unhinged glamour. Inspired by Valentino’s ‘60s and ‘80s golden years, Michele reimagined sheer body stockings with intricate lace and delicate bows, turned fur trim into a statement-making detail (sometimes in very unexpected places), and piled on textures in the most decadent way. Outerwear was major—sculpted shoulders, luxe fabrics, and fluid silhouettes that swayed like a dream.

The finishing touches? Balaclavas, vintage-inspired bags, and shoes that felt plucked from an old-school Valentino archive. Some looks leaned into a sultry, barely-there vibe, like a sheer nude gown with fur-trimmed train and a sky-high front slit—giving the illusion of someone caught mid-change. “Inside and outside,” Michele noted, hinting at the fine line between concealment and exposure. “Nakedness, I really like that,” he added with a smirk. “In Rome, we’re used to seeing it in antique sculptures. Now, young people are always naked on Instagram.”

Final takeaway? Alessandro Michele is here to remind us that fashion, at its core, is about intimacy, self-expression, and—apparently—the unexpected poetry of a bathroom stall.

Images by Getty Images