Normally, what goes on behind closed doors stays behind closed doors, however, Alessandro Michele is not one to follow any given set of rules. Driven by curiosity and an uncontrollable urge to unveil beauty in every shape, way, or form, the inspired Creative Director of Valentino once again uses the bathroom as the setting for the advertising campaign of Le Méta Théâtre Des Intimités, the luxury brand’s Fall/Winter 2025-26 collection.
With subdued lighting and rouge colouring all around, the public bathroom is a scene where numerous individuals take solace, wrapped in the clothes they choose for the day, to do intimate things. Michele uses this backdrop to shed light on a meeting of souls, where “the visible challenges the invisible, where decency collides with guilty pleasure and exposure flirts with occultation.” In this space, the debonair designer unmasks the feminine form and unleashes his creativity, to deliver a line that exudes endless possibilities.
For outerwear, structure is imbued with romance in the details: from the use of the scarlet hue, to a ruffled collar that adds definition and allure. The pieces drip with sensuality as lace envelopes the body, bows and other feminine accoutrements complement and outline the body’s curves. In this theatre of intimacies, Michele does not shy away from what is hidden; instead, he flaunts it, reveals it and adorns it with additional panache.
The ladies that congregate in the inner sanctum bring with them not only their hopes and dreams, but also a selection of elegant totes that can carry everything they could possibly need such as the Valentino Garavani Hoboho hobo bag in chevron pattern nappa leather with studs, the Valentino Garavani Vain shoulder bag in shiny calfskin, and the Valentino Garavani Panthea shoulder bag in nappa leather with chevron pattern, just to name a few.
Accessories, including hats, jewellery, and intimates, such as tights, are subdued yet tastefully enhance the form, lending femininity at every turn. Footwear is elegant and sleek, seemingly minimalistic yet with meaningful touches that reveal more including the Panthea goatskin pumps, as well as the Dans Le Foyer satin sandal with crystals. A standout of the collection is the Valentino Garavani and Vans sneakers, an exclusive collaboration between the two brands, with each pair highlighting the Vans checkerboard motif, reimagined with the Valentino VLogo Signature. Boasting sturdy canvas uppers in a myriad of colours, the sneakers are available in six variations for both men and women.
With mystery and sensuality permeating the scene, Michele puts the spotlight on what is not normally seen. He removes every trace of pretension and shows the figure as is, as it should be, wrapped in beauty, enveloped in grace. “We know, fashion has always been a language of appearance, a device that stages bodies and exposes them to the gaze. Even in our most intimate dimension we can’t escape such exhibiting nature. Hannah Arendt had it perfectly clear: being and appearing coincide, it’s what frames our very existence in the world. Accordingly, clothes certify their status of second skin, the means through which we decide to show ourselves on the stage of life,” he said in a statement, concluding that we are not alone in this thing we call life, we are more together than not, “It may be just this, fashion’s most valuable legacy: depth showing itself as an interweaving of surfaces and intimacy revealing its political and poetic strength. Not at all motionless essence, but endless motion. Not a private shelter, but a shared scene.”
