Alessandro Michele presented the new Valentino collection in a public toilet
Some of them stood in front of the sinks and mirrors, turning this intimate moment into a spectacle. But it is intimacy that is a leading topic in the Michele show, which he entitled « The Metate of Intimation. »
« I'm trying to reflect the topic of expression that Instagram raises because what is intimacy? Now even Madonna is in the toilet, » the designer says, pointing to the singer's tendency to share personal moments on social media, quotes WWD.
| With this collection, he raises the question of whether it is possible to think about intimacy as access to the truth beyond the masks that society imposes on people. |
In his notes, Michele writes: « No intimacy can fully expose us, no veil can be completely torn to confront us with our true self. For the idea that there is an authentic self, untouched by life and its definitions, is misleading. » Again, the designer explains that to view intimacy as a metatherary space does not mean denying its significance.
« To turn your world »: Alessandro Michele showed his first Higher Fashion Collection for Valentino
For him, a public toilet is a place that neutralizes the dualism between internal and externally, between what is intimate, and what is exposed to display, between what remains personally and what is intended to be shared. « A space where intimacy restores its role in building identity by dressing and undressing, » Michele wrote.
« I'm very surprised that Instagram censors the nipples of the breast. It's some crazy, » the designer tells WWD. He remembers that, growing up in Italy in the late 1970s and early 1980s, naked bodies were everywhere, including in television variety shows. « Nothing was forbidden. It was quite wild in a very interesting way, » he adds. « The Mediterranean culture means to be naked. »
The presented dresses again stand out the theatricality and eclecticism in the style of the designer, with its maximalism this time, on the one hand, expands the body through transparent tops, with which the breasts are on display, and the lightened body, and on the other – covers it entirely with costumes and long dresses.
« Michele models are characterized by a kaleidoscopic mix of times and cultures, combining elements of different historical periods to create a unique aesthetics, » the AP notes, quotes BTA. According to the Fashion graphics, the appearance of the designer in Valentino opens a new chapter in her story, but one that remains true to her basic identity.
« By inviting viewers to this seemingly intimate atmosphere, Michele reminded everyone that the boundaries between what is public, and what is personally, are more blurred than ever, » the newspaper wrote.
