“Rebellious, Twisted, and Fun”: Mel Ottenberg Reviews Valentino FW25

SUNDAY 11:09 PM MARCH 9, 2025 PARIS

3PM might be a strange time to find oneself in the bathroom at the rave, but we’ll go to great lengths for Valentino. On Sunday afternoon, creative director Alessandro Michele presented his FW25 collection in a staged public restroom awash in Lynchian red hues, inviting guests into an opulent fantasy featuring gowns that seemed plucked from the closet of a stylish grand dame. “This show is shocking,” raved our editor-in-chief Mel Ottenberg, “and I’m so grateful because there’s not enough shock and awe out there right now.”

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TAYLORE SCARABELLI: How are you?

MEL OTTENBERG: I’m so much better because fashion has been fun today.

SCARABELLI: Yeah. There’s always a lot of ups and downs in Paris. A lot of high highs and low lows.

OTTENBERG: It’s been a bit ups and downsy, you’re right. But I had a great day.

SCARABELLI: What time was the Valentino show?

OTTENBERG: It was at three this afternoon. I don’t really know where it was, but they had created— 

SCARABELLI: You were in the bathroom at the club at 3PM.

OTTENBERG: Yeah, they had the stalls and everything. It was really hot and sweaty. The music was amazing. It started with a mix of some Lana Del Rey song. A deep cut. 

SCARABELLI: I know, I was watching on YouTube and I was like, “I don’t know what song this is. Is it new?” But I was thinking about the runway in terms of the couture show, and I was like, “Oh, this feels a little more optimistic.” Less, like, evil oligarch and more like the people’s version of that—all the deconstructed gowns.

OTTENBERG: It was very disrespectful. I was like, “People that aren’t even dead yet are going to be rolling in their graves when they see this show.” It really looked like some punk, crazy, fucked up fashion bitch ripped into her grandmother’s closet in Rome filled with ’70s Valentino. 

SCARABELLI: Yeah. Alessandro’s revolution.

OTTENBERG: It felt very him, and very Valentino. I was like, “Oh, this show’s fucking rude. I dig it.” The energy in the room was big. There were people shouting at some point. It might’ve been that people were getting a rise out of the models coming out of the bathroom stalls. But I loved the men’s clothes and the pants silhouette. I loved the millions of gowns and the loose beige Roman ’70s lady vibe.

SCARABELLI: And everyone had a crazy walk, like they were coming out of the stall after snorting ketamine or just wearing a bonkers shoe. Everyone was awkward and unique and uncomfortable, but it was still a perfect promenade.

OTTENBERG: It’s just like—okay. I’m looking at it now on Vogue Runway. This show is shocking, and I’m so grateful because there’s not enough shock and awe out there right now. This takes some real balls. Are you looking right now?

SCARABELLI: I’m in a car, but I watched earlier.

 OTTENBERG: The tailoring is interesting. There’s so many pretty dresses. And the denim is good.

SCARABELLI: The denim was fun. And that high waist fucked up peplum was so weird. 

OTTENBERG: Yeah. It’s cool. It’s very Valentino thrift store with an aggressive, rebellious twist from Alessandro.And oh my god, there was also a [The] Shining vibe. And then there was this older lady in a—wait, I’m texting you this outfit.

SCARABELLI: The cat face dress?

OTTENBERG: It’s like two looks after that. It’s so nuts. I was like, “Okay. We’re having fun.”

SCARABELLI: Okay I see it. This look is literally—right before I left the house I threw on this bizarre ’80s dress peplum dress, I cut off the bottom part when I got it and I wear it over jeans. It’s literally the same exact same pink as that look you just showed me. I guess I was inspired by the show today. 

OTTENBERG: Oh, I love that. I’m already excited for the next show. I want to see where this is going.

SCARABELLI: Absolutely. Oh, we didn’t talk about the accessories. I thought it was interesting that the bags were all really Boho with the grommets and the—

OTTENBERG: You know what? Sign me up for these Boho grommet bags. 

SCARABELLI: And then the Y2K sunglasses with the blue lenses. The styling over the lacy headbands was so fun.  

OTTENBERG: The headbands were whatever the Italian version of Grey Gardens is, wild and twisted and weird. Also the casting—Kai Schreiber, Liv Schreiber’s daughter, looked amazing. She was wearing the snakeskin dress with the feather collar. She looks like a teenage Daphne Guinness, and her walk is good.

SCARABELLI: A model to watch.

OTTENBERG: A model to watch. Okay. Are we good?

SCARABELLI: Yeah, we’re perfect.

OTTENBERG: Okay. Have a great Sunday.

SCARABELLI: You too. Bye, bye.