A Review of Specula Mundi
By Lauren Uliana
With each couture week presentation, we get the privilege of seeing the true artisans of our fashion community. We are reminded that fashion isn’t just a vessel for mass consumption but a high art in its own right. This season, we saw debuts from various designers, including Mathieu Blazey at Chanel and Johnathan Anderson at Dior. Yet Alessandro Michele’s sophomore couture collection for Valentino stood out.
Michele taps into the world of cinema with this collection, titling the show Specula Mundi, which means “mirror of the world.” Alessandro reminds us that movies are often a reflection of our lives. He highlights cinema in an eccentric way by having guests sit in a modern-day kaiserpanorama, the great-grandmother of modern cinema. Invented in Berlin, users would peer through lenses to view rotating stereoscopic glass slides, offering a 3D perspective never seen before. Dazed compared it to our modern VR set. However, instead of stereoscopic slides, Alessandro gave the audience beautifully embellished starlets.
Sketch of the ‘Kaiser Panorama’
Illustrated by Olivia Deangelis
The show began with a touching monologue from the recently departed Valentino Garavani about his relationship with films. Although shows are planned months in advance, Michele inadvertently gave the fashion emperor a perfect tribute. Following this, each model began to parade through each of the lit-up wooden structures.
The first look was a Valentino red, slender, bias-cut dress with exaggerated shoulders reminiscent of the thirties-era styles. The Art Deco era design motif became a prominent aesthetic within the show. These motifs were dominant when Valentino was a child, just another way of memorializing the fallen founder. Michele leans into the glamour of the twenties, having his models adorned like showgirls with various feather pieces, including headwear and outerwear. Many of the headpieces are a nostalgic reminder of the Ziegfeld Follies. This event would produce some of the most prolific showgirls, like Josephine Baker, another source of inspiration the designer cited.
Valentino Spring 2026 Couture, Image Credit: NowFashion.com
Michele combines the Ziegfeld girl with elements of the Elizabethan period, designing garments with extra puffy bishop sleeves and Medici collars. He expands the concept of the Medici collar by mixing it with his classic maximalist aesthetic. Instead of using a traditional lace, he fabricates the collars in a metallic material. Alessandro echoes his idea when creating sleeves. Traditionally, the bottom of the bishop sleeve has no ruff, but not on Michele’s watch. He adds the much-needed excess that defines his design's aesthetics.
Alessandro Michele merged his design style with Valentino's classic heritage for his sophomore couture collection—one that would make the late Garavani proud.
