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Valentino’s Spring/Summer 2027 show brings corsets to a Paris library
Alessandro Michele’s October 4 show linked his Spring/Summer 2027 collection with unread books and an invitation to bring books for donation.
Valentino presented Alessandro Michele’s Antibiblioteca collection at the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève in Paris on October 4, 2026. The show put books at the centre of both its setting and its invitation. Inside, guests sat at long wooden reading tables with green lamps, according to ELLE’s account of the presentation.
What appeared on the runway
Silk corset tops in blue, yellow and pink were paired with skirts in contrasting colours. Reuters also reported lace pieces edged with feathers and oversized gold and pearl jewellery.
ELLE’s Kristen Bateman described layers of necklaces, crystal-covered charms and long, amber-like beads. Her report also noted bows, opera gloves and baseball caps, showing how eveningwear and more casual accessories shared the collection.
Why unread books mattered
Antibiblioteca means anti-library. Michele’s show notes compared the possibilities contained in unread books with those in clothes that remain unworn, as Vogue reported. For him, both could suggest lives that a person had not yet experienced.
Michele also created an invented bibliography for the show, with imaginary authors and ISBNs, Vogue’s Nicole Phelps reported.
How guests took part
Guests were asked to bring books for donation to local libraries, Dazed reported. Cynthia Erivo brought James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room; Colman Domingo chose Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Reports described books brought to the venue for donation, without documenting their subsequent delivery to libraries.