Valentino's new designer puts on maximalist Paris ready-to-wear debut

Alessandro Michele's eagerly awaited ready-to-wear Paris Fashion Week debut at Valentino was unveiled in a setting that hinted at a transformation -- a living room in flux. Stools, ladders, and lamps shrouded beneath white blankets evoked a house renovation, signaling not just change, but a conscious revival of past glories. The scene, poetic and subdued, perfectly set the stage for a "maximalist-lite" spectacle that was equally haunted by history and illuminated by Michele's unique flair.