Valentino’s Pillow Talk
The dreamy Spring 26 collection may be a hit, but is it seducing the Valentino women?
Alessandro Michele’s personal style pierces Valentino, molding the brand’s image into his own. Contrasting the Italian brand’s sensual, luxurious modernity with his gritty vintage style may be difficult. The audience of Valentino fell in adoration for their Spring ‘26 campaign while other’s are still stuck on the original brand identity fitting in.
Pastel bedding framed a story of a birds-eye-view looking down on models living in the new collection. The light, moody photos were shot by Marlili Andre, an upcoming fashion photographer. Her typical style illuminates the obscure nature of feminine ordinaries. Andre has worked on several luxury fashion projects, gaining much attention from her highly raw and intriguing lenses. For the seasons campaign, Andre takes an editorial approach of the authentic vulnerability of one’s bed. By maintaining the same angle in every shot creates a story-like series of events. Coupled or solo, models are fully styled in Valentino’s Spring ‘26 collection lounging on silk sheets. The set’s color story is perfectly muted and dainty to contrast the edgy, sensual garments. Alessandro’s signature blend of vintage maximalism with naïve eclectic touches collaborated tastefully with Andre’s photography.
The series was posted following the release of Valentino’s new product, the Valentino Garavani Vain Bag. The modified logo placed in the center in gold defines the brands original design elements. The hard wear is classic and Italian, although the campaign leaned towards Alessandro’s touch of youthfulness. Valentino is romantically luxurious. The typical consumer of ready-to-wear skews slightly older than the target audience the brand is being marketed to today. To keep Valentino’s top purchasers consistent, it is essential to maintain its mature design heritage. Alessandro balances his pursuit of personal vision by steadying the target audience through the Garavani Vain Bag’s timeless design and contrasting campaign theme.
Although there is much to admire about his approach to naïve-chic maximalism, the creative director’s position is being questioned by Valentino’s target audience. Reactions may have been more positive than those to past posts by Valentino, but the overall consumer consensus calls for a new creative director. Concluding that Alessandro’s vision belongs in a fashion house of his own, it is clear that the brand’s identity is faltering. Like his time at Gucci, the complete rebranding of a major house is a common occurrence. The audiences of Valentino are recognizing Alessandro’s patterns in the industry—a soft request while applauding his dreamy campaign.