Fashion constantly draws on the past and its cycles are inevitably renewed to give rise to somewhat different interpretations of what we have already worn decades ago. That is why, when the Fashion Weeksour expert eyes are always on the lookout for this kind of references, but we did not expect to see in one of the most media parades in ParisNo matter how stylish she is, a nod to the queen sofia.
© GTRESThe connection with Spain in Alessandro Michele’s debut
Any self-respecting fashion lover couldn’t wait to see what Alessandro Michele had designed for the Valentino Spring/Summer 2025 collectiona show that marked his official debut at the helm of the Italian house after having left the creative direction of Gucci a few seasons ago. The result was as expected: Michele in all her splendor. Romantic dresses with ruffles, polka dots, floral prints, lace stockings… The couturier’s favorite elements came together in the Valentino Garavani archives.
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© Getty ImagesIt is precisely there, among the firm’s creations dating from the 70s, 80s or 90s, that we find the basis of this collection. There were so many iconic women who gave international fame at this time to the so-called Last Emperor of Fashion, but we were truly surprised to discover that it was not Maria Callas or Jackie Onassis who inspired Michele in this first launch but rather Queen Sofia, who Throughout her life she wore countless custom Valentino outfits.
© Getty ImagesQueen Sofia, one of Valentino’s best clients and friends
As experts in the wardrobes of royalty, in the Michele debut collectionwe were immediately struck by this beautiful design in silk chiffon with polka dots on a blue background that is adorned with cascading ruffles both at the hips and at the bottom of the long skirt. And almost 45 years ago, in 1980Felipe VI’s mother was photographed wearing what appears to be the original version of this piece, with the biggest difference being the neckline.
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© Getty ImagesIt is unknown when exactly Queen Sofia’s love affair with the Voghera native’s aesthetic universe began, although the first look signed by Valentino that she wore in public on the verge of becoming a consort was portrayed. It was on the cover of the magazine Paris Match, which she adorned with Juan Carlos I, in November 1975, dressed in a fluid design with a halter neckline that had a huge flower around her neck. From then on, the relationship between muse and designer only strengthened with the passage of time.
© Getty ImagesProof of this is that even two decades later he still counted on him for his important events. On a state visit to Egypt, in February 1997, Doña SofÃa premiered a customized dress with long sleeves, taken from the Valentino Haute Couture Spring/Summer 1996. In the image that rests on these lines, you can see the first version that was seen on the catwalk.
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© Getty ImagesQueen Letizia, in the footsteps of Doña SofÃa
Little is really known about the relationship between Queen Letizia and her mother-in-law, but perhaps they are trying to tell us something through their looks because on more than one occasion Felipe VI’s wife has borrowed the spectacular pieces from the emerita’s dressing room. Haute Couture that Valentino made for her decades ago.
At the reception for the Accredited Diplomatic Corps in Spain in 2022, she rescued this outfit from the Valentino Spring/Summer 1977 Haute Couture collection that Queen Sofia had worn to a meeting with the president of Germany, Walter Scheel, during an official trip to the country. , in 1977.
© Getty ImagesTheir vintage designs are passed down from generation to generation.
In 2021, the Kings received the President of the Republic of Chile at the Zarzuela Palace and Doña Letizia captured all eyes with this dress with a rounded neck, short sleeves and a flared midi skirt decorated with different floral patterns in pastel tones. Although we initially thought it was a new addition to her wardrobe, we soon discovered that Doña SofÃa wore it during a trip to Italy in 1981, during which she almost exclusively wore designs by her friend, Valentino Garavani.
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