Alessandro Michele called his new Spring/Summer 2026 collection for Valentino Fireflies, and that already said a lot about where his mind was this season. He was thinking about light — how to find it, how to protect it. The inspiration came from Pier Paolo Pasolini’s letters from 1941, written during a dark time, and their message was simple: keep looking for beauty, even when everything feels heavy. Michele took that idea and made it his own, turning it into a show that felt intimate and calm.
The space was dark, almost completely silent before the first look appeared. Then small points of light started to flicker, like fireflies. The setup was minimal and made you pay attention to the clothes. There was a lot of black this season, tailored coats, slim trousers, and sheer blouses layered under structured jackets. Then came the flashes of yellow and lilac, like small bursts of light breaking through. One look had soft yellow pants paired with a black silk shirt; another came in deep purple with feather details along the sleeves. Feathers appeared throughout the collection, adding texture and movement as the models walked. The materials felt rich and tactile, such as satin, velvet, lace, and lamé that caught the light in subtle ways.
Accessories played an important role. Jewellery resembled tiny glowing insects: resin earrings in pale green, necklaces with wing-like shapes, and bracelets that reflected the runway lights. The handbags were small and structured, covered in beading that shimmered as they moved. Even the show invitation had glowsticks inside.
There were still echoes of his Gucci days – the sparkle, the layered textures, the romance – but here they felt more contained. Fireflies showed that Michele doesn’t need to reinvent himself; he just needed to shift the volume. The result was confident, thoughtful, and exactly where he should be.
