All the Wonderfully Whimsical Trends Alessandro Michele Dreamt Up for Valentino Spring 2027

Valentino's newest Paris Fashion Week show was the ultimate crossover for fashion lovers and book nerds. It took place at one of Paris's most recognizable libraries: the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, a Latin Quarter landmark that opened in 1851. Lest you think creative director Alessandro Michele chose the venue for its aesthetics alone, rest assured, the literary theme went much deeper than the studious setting. In the show notes, Michele explained that this collection was inspired by Nassim Nicholas Taleb's idea of an "antilibrary" of unread books that symbolize limitless potential.

"Even the garments that we will never wear, no differently than those books sitting unopened on our shelves, still speak to us of the lives we could have lived," Michele said in a statement. "Not as regrets, but as promises. Because their sheer presence as a possibility makes the world wider, richer, more liveable. After all, perhaps a fragment of happiness stems exactly from this: the profoundly human capacity to continuously expand the realm of what we can imagine and to live, if only for a moment, in worlds that are yet to come. Or might never be."

Whether you appreciate the collection's esoteric inspirations or are simply excited to see beautiful clothes, I have a feeling you'll enjoy scrolling through Michele's wonderfully whimsical designs below.

Mistmatching Masterclass

Michele loves a good juxtaposition. For Valentino's spring 2027 collection, he mixed plaid flannel shirts with sequin party skirts, paired casual baseball hats with feather-festooned coats, and made the weirdest color combinations look completely sane. Suddenly, I'm inspired to wear olive green with turquoise and chartreuse with lilac. No one has mastered the art of mismatching quite like Michele.

Destined for the Red Carpet

I've spent the last decade and a half reporting on red carpet fashion, and I can confidently say that Valentino has always been an integral part of the most memorable ones. This season, there were plenty of dresses and gowns that deserve their moment at the Oscars, Grammys, or Met Gala. I can't wait to see which celebrity will be the first to debut Valentino spring 2027 on the red carpet.

Who's Who

Valentino has never struggled to attract A-list celebrities to its shows, and this season was no different. Naomi Watts, Cynthia Erivo, Alexander Skarsgård, Colman Domingo, and Joe Alwyn were among the well-dressed guests in the front row. My favorite part? None of them showed up empty-handed. Valentino asked all attendees to bring a book to donate to local public libraries—celebrities included. On Instagram, Alwyn and Domingo even shared which books they brought.