Times of uncertainty call for some reassurance. So don’t be surprised to stumble upon the familiar Rockstud theme while scrolling through Valentino’s latest look book images. The spiky motif of the Roman house’s accessories has undergone the Alessandro Michele treatment, with his unique filter casting an even edgier light on high-heeled shoes via a tapered squared toe reinforced by a metal cap, for one.

The designer explained he needed to take time with such a strong design — a signature code for the brand introduced by predecessors Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri — before he could eventually offer his own take on it and add it to the vocabulary of his Valentino vision.

“I didn’t want to do this the day after I arrived here, because I found it weird and I didn’t know this territory so well,” said Michele, who’s constantly questioning “my idea of what’s Valentino, what I do and what I can also keep from what’s been done by my predecessors.”

“So I looked at this theme which is so interesting and represented a pillar for many years, a great invention,” said Michele, pointing to how the motif connects with the city of Rome and the studs appearing on its buildings’ doors. 

And what about that viral appearance of an archival design in the trailer for “The Devil Wears Prada 2” movie? A case of pure serendipity, said Michele.

He’s more focused on his own cinematic view of the house. The images of his pre-fall 2026 collection were telling in many ways, with an increased attention to accessories suggesting the brand’s effort in luring customers with a more approachable price point, as well as the preferred avenue for Michele to express his flamboyant nature (look at the almost 50 iterations of the new DeVain shoulder bag for evidence).

But it’s in clothing where the seismic shift is truly happening. Even here Michele is playing by his rules, though, reconsidering his maximalist handwriting to dig deep into a new, stripped-back approach. 

“I’m in a phase where absence seems an element of decoration to me, as if I’m creating the negative of my maximalism,” said Michele. “I went through a stage where my language was very precise and very much about adding rather than subtracting. This activity probably led me to the need to explore something else… It’s something I’ve never done before and that I’m enjoying very much because it’s giving me back a new freedom from a creative point of view… because I feel [overwhelmed] by information and images of all kinds in general and this is like cutting out things and observing them from a different angle. And it’s also the great secret for whoever does my job: not to get bored.”

His new approach was expressed via silhouettes that nodded to the ‘80s in their vibrant color blocking, fluid silk textures and heightened shoulders; dresses splashed with prints anchored in the familiarity of archival logos and patterns, and easily readable looks that played with contrasting weights, often pairing lingerie-inspired pieces with meaty leather jackets and shearling coats.

Michele cut essential shapes from lightweight black-and-white tweed in a cropped jacket; poplin for an everyday striped chemisier minidress; linen for pretty tailored pieces with vaguely scalloped trims outlined by contrasting piping, and taffeta for a vichy skirt suit embellished with a pleated motif on the front.

The dreamy eveningwear proposition was the exception, with its cornucopia of tulle, embroideries, sequins and sizzling embellishments that best displayed the house’s craftsmanship and couture nature.

In menswear, the hushed approach was conveyed via clean and minimal sartorial pieces, relaxed fits and earthy tones. Occasional zings came via embroidered details or the unexpected layering with tracksuits.

“I’m happy that this process of looking at empty spaces and things I remove to see better what remains is so apparent,” said Michele. “To be honest, when I started I wasn’t able to do it. I might have [shown] more of myself. Still, I liked the things I did when I arrived here… they are part of me and my DNA, but after so many years doing this job, now it’s like going to therapy and wondering: ‘what happens if I look to things from that other way?’”