Dear Shaded Viewers,
Pierre‑François Valette is a Paris-based designer who runs VALETTE STUDIO as a hybrid space where design and atelier work are closely linked, and “The New Romantics” Autumn‑Winter 2026/2027 continues that dialogue between idea and making. The show framed fashion as “a way of being,” with clothes cut for real bodies and grounded in music, make‑up and memory rather than pure image.
Founded in Paris in 2020, VALETTE STUDIO reflects Valette’s background at Institut Français de la Mode, Isabel Marant and Saint Laurent, as well as his Saint Laurent Couture Institute Prize in 2019. Now on the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode calendar and carrying the “Fabriqué à Paris” label, the house emphasizes local, small‑scale production through a compact team of pattern makers and technicians working across VALETTE STUDIO and VALETTE ATELIER.
“The New Romantics” proposed a measured response to an image‑driven fashion culture, suggesting that the cut and fall of garments still matter. References to Bowie and Jagger appeared more as a mood than direct quotation, with emotion carried by materials, finishes and construction rather than overt theatrics.
Fabrics such as compact wool, wool gauze, cotton voile, herringbone denim and technical cotton balanced structure and lightness, while faux fur and recycled leather introduced a discreet ethical note. The palette moved through blacks, white and grey into electric blue, red, green, wine, terracotta and indigo, and embellishment stayed close to the body with 3D‑printed details and embroidery adding quiet depth.
Silhouettes pursued precise tailoring that remains wearable, described by Valette as a refined wardrobe “for women and men who are free of rules and standards”. Coats wrapped the body with a certain architectural quality, and suits recast the office uniform in a more romantic, less purely functional light, with tension between sharp shoulders and softened lines.
Overall, the collection read as a thoughtful step in Valette’s ongoing attempt to align design and manufacturing, giving equal weight to visible surfaces and inner construction. In a season marked by shows chasing strong visual moments, “The New Romantics” opted for a quieter stance, suggesting that attention to cut, weight and workmanship can still carry its own kind of presence.
Later,
Diane
