The Call of the Collar
Statement collars became the staple of Valentino's first Spring collection with Alessandro Michele.
Alessandro Michele photographed by unknown via Omnēque. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
“The artistic heritage of the Maison and modern sensibilities come together in the Spring 2025 collection: the Creative Direction of Alessandro Michele marks the beginning of a new era,” reads the description of Valentino’s Avant Les Débuts collection. It is a new era for the brand and the director, as the collection marks Michele’s first spring with Valentino after saying goodbye to Gucci in 2022.
This new era shows Valentino going for the throat, with statement collars and necklaces dominating the collection. The ruffled bows featured on the Georgette Midi Dress and Crepe De Chine Shirt give these ultra-feminine pieces a vintage menswear flair in their styling, giving the illusion of an ascot. The men's collection takes a more subtle approach to this new era, mainly favoring polo shirts and double-breasted jackets. A few wide disco-esque collars add some wow factor. However, between the Kitty Foyle dresses, Jackie Kennedy-inspired hats and skirt suits, and other modern twists to classic styles and silhouettes, the women’s collection spans decades of fashion eras that make the menswear pale in comparison.
The Crepe de Chine shirt styled with the Marco Pied de Poule Tweed Jacket, Ruffled Taffeta Skirt, and Rigid Wool Turban via Vogue Runway © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Despite the men’s versus women's collections having distinct differences, Michele is known for creating looks that bend gender norms and combining pieces in ways that defy expectations. The 171 outfits created for the lookbook consist of a variety of fabrics, textures, colors, and eras, all collaged into a singular look. This masterful styling turns a jacket's fur collar into shoulder pads or a scarf, and allows the versatility of the pieces to shine.
It is no secret to anyone who has long followed Michele that he favors frills. One of his most iconic looks, the dusty blue tiered gown trimmed with black lace modeled by Harry Styles on the December 2020 Vogue cover, showcases this better than anything. Airy fabrics like organza and lace, being married to the crisp lines of business-wear pieces such as blazers and pencil skirts, has long been a partnership that Michele brings out. The Avant les Débuts collection is a love letter to the harmony between rigidity and romance, with Michele written all over it.
One of the ways this partnership is brought to life is through the melding of trends across decades. The bows and houndstooth pattern on the Damier Light Tweed dress scream 2020s, whereas the cut is reminiscent of a mod-style mini dress from the 1960s. Journeying even further back in time, the lacy collar and cuffs on the Georgette blouse are similar to those found on 1830s men's dress shirts, whereas the blouse itself says quiet luxury with its simple silk design. Yet somehow, despite the wide variety of muses for this collection, the result is symphonic rather than cacophonous.
