Valentino and teen-inspired coolness aren’t exactly two concepts you’d expect to find in the same sentence, but Alessandro Michele somehow makes the combination feel entirely natural. The designer has long been fond of punctuating his own eclectic wardrobe with a slogan cap – often sourced from Idea Ltd – and for resort 2027, he decided to bring the trick to Valentino.

The result? His “Villain Teen” caps look surprisingly chic paired with heavily embroidered jackets worn over ripped jeans, floor-sweeping retro dresses, heirloom furs, and all the glorious shoulder-padded excess of 1980s glamorama. You can easily imagine the Valentino girl and boy spending their parents’ money on antiques at Paul Bert Serpette, draped in their grandmother’s jewels, wrapped in bourgeois silk scarves, and indulging in a touch of aristocratic cosplay.

These are modern-day villains, but the kind who know how to have fun. The cap is the crucial ingredient: it stops everything from feeling like costume and makes it read as genuine personal style. Michele has been gradually loosening Valentino’s collar with each outing, and this feels like the most convincing expression of that approach yet. It’s a direction he should continue to pursue.

ED’s SELECTION:

Valentino Garavani Striped Metallic Knitted Poncho

Valentino Garavani Bow-embellished Ruched Wool Jacket

Valentino Garavani Vlogo Signature Mini Bow-detailed Velvet Shoulder Bag

Valentino Garavani Bowow 45 Bow-embellished Leather Pumps

Valentino Garavani Panthea Small Patchwork Leather And Suede Shoulder Bag

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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