Exclusive: Everyone in Starry, Electric Front Row Alessandro Michele at Valentino

The atmosphere was electric in anticipation of Alessandro Michele’s Valentino debut on Sunday afternoon in Paris – undeniably the most coveted invitation of the season. Instead of opting for the expected, Michele broke tradition by leaving the elegant salons of Salomon de Rothschild especially the hotelhistorically a frequent venue for Valentino shows, in favor of an unconventional location on the outskirts of Paris. He called the program Pavillon des Folies – the Crazy Pavilion.

The show took place in the Dojo de Paris arena, and we expected a huge, impersonal space at the Judo Institute – a far cry from the typical epitome of Valentino chic. But in the case of Alessandro Michele, nothing is predictable. After walking through a dark corridor lined with black velvet, the space suddenly opened up to a haunted, magical environment, bathed in dim light and eerie music. Piles of furniture, statues and pianos were draped in white fabrics, somehow evoking the supernatural atmosphere of the place. Stranger Things or Miss Havisham’s neglected manor house. Was this a metaphor for covering up the past to make room for a new beginning? Were the ghosts of the past quietly wandering around?