Valentino Antibiblioteca Show Transforms Paris Library
Alessandro Michele presented Valentino's SS27 'Antibiblioteca' collection at Paris Fashion Week on October 4, 2026.
Valentino’s SS27 collection, titled Antibiblioteca, was presented at the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève in Paris during Fashion Week on October 4, 2026. Creative director Alessandro Michele reimagined the 19th-century reading room as a space of unread potential, a theme extended to an imaginary bibliography of non-existent books with invented titles, fictional authors, and fabricated ISBN numbers.
Celebrity participation and book donations
Guests were invited to bring their favourite books for donation to local libraries upon entering the show. Notable contributions formed a literary snapshot of the front row.
Music and sensory atmosphere
The show opened to the relentless loop of Troye Sivan’s recently released song 'Party', which samples Madonna’s 'Music'. The library was emptied of its usual furniture and transformed with strobe lights, creating a party atmosphere within the solemn architectural shell.
Key looks and design details
Bows were treated as visual architecture throughout the collection. Sculptural bows emerged from bustiers. An oversized black bow sat on a huge pink pleated fan attached to a train from a strapless magenta gown. Another bow appeared at the center front of a corset-style gown.
The silhouette was sharply cinched, often with broad belts or harness details that hovered between lingerie and tailoring. Cummerbunds and criss-cross harness bralettes were combined. A black blazer was worn open with an enormous ruffle erupting from one shoulder.
Color pairings were bold and deliberate. Apple green was paired with saturated purple. Vivid yellow was softened by pale lilac. Fuchsia met mint-grey. One look combined a lightweight apple-green overshirt with purple harem pants, a glittering lace top, and a pale blue baseball cap.
Sheer fabric appeared in fringed layers or dissolved into florals and feathers. Skirts came in crinkled crepe, floral silk devore, supple leather, pleated knits, and translucent fabrics, some finished with feathers, fringe, or embroidered applique. Gingham shirts were a recurring feature, one worn over a sheer lace cummerbund and halter harness top with a mustard-yellow open-knit midi skirt.
Sequined blazers were paired with 'villain teen' baseball caps. Romantic red dresses had plunging sweetheart necklines. The collection closed with an exploration of the unread. Alessandro Michele said of unread books: "Because their sheer presence as a possibility makes the world wider, richer, more livable." The show itself served as an elaborate footnote to an imaginary text.
