The Run-Through with Vogue

Episode: Alessandro Michele Is Building On Valentino’s Vision of Beauty

Hosts: Nicole Phelps (Vogue Runway Director)
Guest: Alessandro Michele (Creative Director, Valentino)
Date: January 27, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode spotlights Alessandro Michele, the celebrated designer known for revitalizing Gucci, who now heads Valentino’s creative direction. Set against the backdrop of Paris Couture Week and the recent passing of Valentino Garavani, the conversation examines Michele's emotional and artistic approach to haute couture at Valentino. The episode, hosted by Nicole Phelps, explores themes of craft, legacy, personal inspiration, and the evolving language of beauty in fashion.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Energy of Couture Week & Michele’s Transition to Valentino

• Nicole Phelps reports from Paris Couture Week, setting the scene with major debuts (Anderson at Dior, Blaise at Chanel) and her observations backstage (01:25–04:07).
• She shifts into a replay of her in-depth interview with Michele, recorded just before his first Valentino haute couture show, framing it in the context of Valentino Garavani’s passing.
• Michele reflects on inheriting a house with such a profound legacy:

  "Being here in this house that is not really a brand, you really feel it, that everything started from the haute couture. I mean, it’s almost everywhere, you know, the...the shadow of that culture, you know, snaking in every corridor." —Alessandro Michele (08:23)

2. The Magic and Ritual of Couture

• Michele describes the house’s atelier as a "magical" space with a timeless energy:

  "It’s like every, every single person is like a little wizard or kind of, you know, witch or something, I don’t know, magical and everything. It’s under a spell, you know. When you walk inside the laboratory, it’s...like to be in another place, but also in another...space of time that doesn’t exist, you know." (08:23–10:33)

• He emphasizes the profound difference between couture and ready-to-wear:

  "You have to give to that dress all of yourself in a very deep way. It's like a love affair, you know, it's like that you are dating because every day I didn't decide, Nicole, they, they choose me." (12:38–15:27)

3. Creativity Unlocked by Craft

• Michele discusses how couture pushed his creativity in new directions:

  "At the beginning, I thought that it was exactly the same, you know, so I was going and I started to walk with the same process and I found...a voice that was like whispering, you can, you can go on in the same way." (12:38)

• Craftsmanship becomes a mechanism for self-discovery and artistic intimacy:

  "Every single dress is a like a story, many words, many thoughts, [an] investigation." (15:27)

4. Honoring Valentino's Legacy

• Michele recognizes the archive's "present" force and inspiration:

  "The archive here is a presence. I usually say that it’s a part of the story that you can’t ignore. You try to ignore sometimes, but it’s still here and it’s strong." (18:19)

• He alludes to opening his debut collection with a homage, not a copy, of a historical Valentino dress, reflecting on the continuity and evolution of beauty at the house (18:19–21:01).

5. The Spirit of Palazzo Mignanelli

• Describes the legendary headquarters:

  "First of all, for the soul of this place. It’s not about just the beauty of the building...It’s a piece of Renaissance." (21:15)

• Phelps recounts a recent runway moment illustrating the ongoing connection to Valentino Garavani:

  "Giancarlo Giammetti had his phone out and he was FaceTiming with Mr. Valentino, who wasn’t at the show...Talk about the full circle of life or of a brand." (22:18)

6. Personal Reflections on Debut & Creative Process

• Michele recalls nerves, excitement, and feeling "surrounded by love" at his first Valentino show, including imagery of working in the atelier under Roman frescoes (23:00–25:32).
• Regarding show design, he aims for an immersive, almost cinematic experience rather than traditional runway presentations:

  "When I work, I’m working on a movie or a theater piece. I’m thinking about you coming into a space. I need you to walk in my brain and in my space." (26:14)

7. Hands-On Styling & Singular Creative Vision

• Michele eschews working with external stylists, preferring to shape the total look himself:

  "It’s a hundred percent my job because I’m not a tailor, I’m not a couturier...I like to look at the movie, to read the book, to fix the word, to change the hair, to put my hands...it’s all my job." (27:31)

8. Seeing Valentino Worn in the World

• Expresses joy at seeing his work come to life beyond the runway—on celebrities and friends:

  "They take the pieces from the dream and put in the real life. And the real life started to be like a dream." (30:58)

9. Real Life Inspirations: Simplicity, Family, and the Everyday

• Michele finds inspiration in simple pleasures:

  "One of the most incredible things that I saw recently, it's seeing my two nephews growing, touching my life and my way to see the earth, my life, the future." (34:12)

• He places value on quiet time, doing nothing, and relishing a life he fought to craft for himself, especially after his time away from corporate fashion (36:53–38:45).

10. Clothes as Portals & the Philosophy of Fashion

• Cited by Phelps, Michele’s quote:

  "Clothes aren’t only artifacts, rather they’re doors, vessels, hallways that lead us to a different reality, denser, richer, more ambiguous than we could inhabit if they weren’t there." (38:45)

• Michele expands:

  "It’s like a space...You can live other life...When you are in the changing room...it’s like you...open a door and the dress...clothes...invite you." (39:30–41:28)

11. The Wider Ambitions: Touching the Culture

• On supporting young designers, cross-disciplinary collaborations, and legacy:

  "I didn’t really plan at that time. I mean, I was just living and many things happen. And I think that I’m the same person...Fashion can build a better, dreamy place." (42:10)

• Motivated to pursue new, sometimes "not allowed" ideas—"I like to do with other people things that are not allowed." (44:04)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Everything started from the haute couture. I mean, it’s almost everywhere, you know, the shadow of that culture, you know, snaking in every corridor."
  — Alessandro Michele (08:23)

• "It’s like that you are dating, because every day I didn’t decide, Nicole, they, they choose me..."
  — Alessandro Michele (12:38)

• "How can you think about a skirt doing just a skirt? It’s like that you are writing a line of a poem, but just a line and what is going to be..."
  — Alessandro Michele (27:31)

• "They take the pieces from the dream and put in the real life. And the real life started to be like a dream."
  — Alessandro Michele (30:58)

• "Clothes aren’t only artifacts, rather they’re doors, vessels, hallways that lead us to a different reality, denser, richer, more ambiguous than we could inhabit if they weren’t there."
  — Read by Nicole Phelps, quoting Michele (38:45)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Backstage at Couture Week, Paris — [01:25–04:07]
• On Taking Over Valentino and the Power of the Atelier — [06:34–10:33]
• The Creative Process Unique to Couture — [12:34–15:27]
• Relationship with the Valentino Archive — [18:19–21:01]
• Palazzo Mignanelli and Legacy — [21:15–23:00]
• Reflections on Debut Experience — [23:00–25:32]
• Vision for the Couture Show — [26:14–27:06]
• Hands-On Styling Philosophy — [27:23–30:07]
• Valentino in the World: On Celebrities and Friends — [30:58–32:52]
• Everyday Joys and Inspirations — [34:01–36:53]
• Clothes as Portals, Life Philosophy — [38:45–41:28]
• Cultural Impact and Supporting Others — [41:28–44:04]

Tone & Style

• Reflective, poetic, intimate—a strong sense of awe at the craft of couture.
• Michele’s responses are philosophical, emphasizing emotion, beauty, and self-discovery.
• Phelps guides the conversation with curiosity and respect for Michele’s artistic process and the legacy of Valentino.

Conclusion

This episode offers an intimate portrait of Alessandro Michele at a pivotal moment in his career. Through eloquent metaphors and candid reflections, Michele describes how the rituals of haute couture have deepened his artistry, grounded him in legacy, and sharpened his vision for the future of Valentino. The conversation resonates with anyone curious about how designers translate history, personal experience, and philosophy into wearable art—showing that couture is, above all, an act of devotion and imagination.