Paris, goldensamoyed Indonesia
—
Valentino
released the ‘Fireflies’ collection that visually brings the symbols of Italian writer and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini to life.Unlike Pasolini who thought fireflies were dead,
Alessandro Michele
, Valentino’s creative director, thinks the fireflies are just waiting to be seen again.
In 1941, amidst the chaos of World War II, Pasolini wrote a letter about fireflies.In the letter, he describes a night full of tiny lights, which he calls “amorous flights and lights”, as a sign of life and passion that survives amidst the darkness.
Forty years later, Pasolini wrote again, saying that the fireflies had disappeared.The emergence of the modern world, he argued, swallowed up differences and extinguished those small lights.
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Through Valentino’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection entitled ‘Fireflies’, Michele rejected that view.He revives Pasolini’s symbols in a visual way, becoming an evocative fashion language.For Michele, fireflies are not dead, but they are just waiting to be seen again.
“Fashion can help us restore lost sight, bringing light and meaning back to life,” wrote Michele in show notes read over the loudspeaker by Pamela Anderson, who sat in the front row.
The stage was built dimly, lit by flashing lights that glowed like fireflies at night.
Through the darkness, silk, lace, tulle and sequins reflect the light like tiny rays.The light in this show does not come from spotlights, but from the clothes themselves, as Pasolini intended eight decades ago.
This collection, consisting of 80 looks, emphasizes Alessandro Michele’s signature synthesis between soft textures and emotional colors.
There’s bubblegum pink, tangerine, lilac, mustard yellow and cerulean blue – a vibrant color palette, each emitting its own emotion.Color becomes a form of resistance to the uniformity that Pasolini once feared, and becomes a sign that beauty and difference can still shine.
The ribbon motif is the common thread of this collection.From pale blue tunics with ribbons at the neck to mini dresses layered with ruffles, ribbons emerge as small but powerful symbols, like fireflies.
These elements also continued from Alessandro Michele’s previous collections at Valentino, including the “Bowow pumps,” now presented in a more theatrical version.
Interestingly, Michele this time displays a balance between romanticism and structure.Suit cut
single-breasted
, long coats with defined shoulders, and pencil skirts in silk and velvet showed a new sensibility to
tailoring
sharp one.
This more measured silhouette displays disciplined form without losing softness, and does not appear aggressive.
The second half of the show showed intensity.Gold sequined blazers, transparent shirts with crystal tassels, and long dresses decorated with silver and gold beads emphasize that light can also be a form of courage.
Among the glitter, Michele inserted a more subtle statement, that fashion can be a resistance to uniform cultural darkness, or what Pasolini calls “the emergence of the fireflies”, or the disappearance of fireflies.
Don’t be separated from jewelry
Michele of course came with jewelry.Chandelier earrings dangle down to the shoulders, a butterfly-shaped necklace gently circles the back, and a large metal bracelet set with colorful stones emphasizes the idea that beauty can be a form of resilience.
Insect-shaped brooches and snake-embellished shoes create a sense of life that pulses through every detail, even pinned in unusual places like the back of the shoulder.
In the line of guests, Lana Del Rey appeared in a lilac dress with feathers on the shoulders, Pamela Anderson appeared in a black lace dress and fuchsia shoes, while Emma Chamberlain, Colman Domingo and Charlotte Lawrence looked like characters from Michele’s Valentino world.
Alessandro Michele refers not only to Pasolini, but also to the interpretations of Georges Didi-Huberman, an art historian who rejected Pasolini’s pessimism and believed that fireflies still exist, and that only human vision is weakening.
Michele borrows this view to emphasize that fashion can be a tool to rediscover the small beauty that has been overlooked.
In ‘Fireflies’, Michele transforms Pasolini’s letter from 1941 into a visual manifesto.He reminded us that hope is not a big explosion, but rather a small flickering light, which is sometimes almost invisible, but continues to burn.
In a world that is increasingly full of uniformity, especially in the world of fashion, the designer’s job is not to add noise, but to teach how to see subtle beauty, and how to find points of light that are still alive even in the midst of darkness.
(fas/els)
[Gambas:goldensamoyed Video]
