Valentino Spring/Summer 2027: Antibiblioteca in Paris

Alessandro Michele, creative director of Valentino, staged the brand's Spring/Summer 2027 collection at the historic Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève in Paris, France. Titled Antibiblioteca, the runway presentation explored the concept of the antilibrary, drawing a parallel between unread books and the intrinsic value of fashion.

The concept borrows from Nassim Nicholas Taleb's description of Umberto Eco's library in The Black Swan, where unread books hold immense value because they represent the boundaries of knowledge and future discoveries. Michele extended this notion to fashion, arguing that garments do not strictly need to be worn or owned to possess meaning, but can exist purely as potentials.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

As part of the event, attendees were asked to bring a book from their personal shelves to be donated to local public libraries. Furthermore, the physical invitation took the form of a catalogue listing imaginary book titles that do not actually exist, reinforcing the theme that discovery holds inherent value just like unworn garments.

This intellectual approach highlights Alessandro Michele's signature style of blending high fashion with literary and historical references. By placing ephemeral runway garments inside a permanent archive of knowledge like Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, the presentation creates a dialogue between material ephemerality and enduring ideas.

Against the backdrop of the library's long wooden reading tables, iron railings, and green lamps, the collection highlighted how fashion acts as an archive in its own right. Referencing philosopher Giorgio Agamben's theory of potentiality, Michele emphasized that runway looks continue to live on as images, memories, and ideas long after the show concludes.

Source: designboom