designboom · Creativity & design

Valentino's 'Antibiblioteca' Rethinks Fashion Value

Alessandro Michele's Valentino Spring/Summer 2027 collection, titled 'Antibiblioteca,' was presented at Paris's Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, exploring the concept of unread books and their inherent value.

The show draws inspiration from the idea of an antilibrary, where unread books hold value in their potential. Michele extends this to fashion, suggesting garments have meaning beyond being worn or consumed, existing as possibilities.

Guests were invited to bring a book to be donated to local libraries, mirroring the collection's theme of potential discovery. The show's invitation was designed as a catalog of imaginary books.

The concept is influenced by Nassim Nicholas Taleb's account of Umberto Eco's library, where unread books represent the limits of knowledge and the potential for discovery. Michele applies this to fashion, viewing each collection as containing objects with diverse futures.

Models moved through the library's environment of reading tables and bookshelves, creating a contrast between the permanence of the library and the ephemerality of the collection. This highlights fashion as an archive where forms mutate and acquire new meanings.

Michele questions how fashion's value is measured, arguing that judging it solely on utility overlooks its potential as an image, memory, or idea that can influence perception even if never worn.

The collection is presented as a cluster of ideas and possibilities, aligning with Giorgio Agamben's concept of potentiality. An unworn garment, like an unread book, holds value in what it might yet represent or inspire.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.