Alessandro Michele Stages a Befitting Tribute to Valentino Garavani with a Unique Concept
Remembering Valentino Garavani, Alessadro Michele presented his collection in a Kaiserpanorama, where guests had to peep into a hole to take a look at the models.
Designer Alessandro Michele paid tribute to designer Valentino Garavani with his new collection Specula Mundi- Mirror of the World at the ongoing Paris Haute Couture Week. Inspired by the 19th century cinema viewing experience, the show took place inside well lit boxes with live models preening like a peacocks in the Michele's latest creation for Valentino.
There were 12 circular rooms where guests saw the collection through tine holes. The Valentino AW26 couture collection saw capes, crinolines and gloves. The first look- a stunning batwing gown was a homage to Garavani's iconic shade of carmine. The clothes were dripped in jewels and embellished with sequins. The dresses were styled with pronged headpieces that looked like halos. The designer was also inspired by 1920s Art Deco for his creation. A lot of his designs were also borrowed from the showgirl.
The Kaiserpanorama definitely provided a unique viewing experience. This is basically a 19th century viewing device that offered people a window to the world before cinema existed. It consisted of a circular wooden cabinet with multiple eyepieces, through which viewers could look at rotating stereoscopic photographs—creating a striking 3D effect. Popular across Europe, it was both entertainment and education, transporting audiences to distant cities, landmarks, and cultures without leaving their seats.
Taking to Instagram after the show, Alessandro Michele wrote, "Valentino Garavani passed away just days before the Haute Couture show, when the press release had already been sent to print and all the work was in its final stages, too advanced to be reversed. Yet I feel compelled to speak, conscious of a debt I owe."