Italy: Rome’s Spanish Steps to host Valentino fashion show

Rome: Luxury fashion house Valentino will showcase its autumn-winter 2022-23 collection at the Spanish Steps in Rome on 8 July.

The grand event, organised in collaboration with the city, will see a 600-m catwalk set up between Piazza di Spagna, Trinità dei Monti, Piazza Mignanelli and Via Gregoriana, an area synonymous with the fashion house founded by Valentino Garavani in 1960.

The city will celebrate the fashion show by decorating streets and bridges in the historic centre with banners in homage to Valentino, in addition to a poster campaign on buses and subways.

In return Valentino will sponsor the restoration of a Roman mosaic at the Baths of Caracalla and donate new palm trees to be planted in Piazza di Spagna, to replace those destroyed by palm weevils, according to a statement from the city.

“Rome is a candidate to become one of the fashion capitals of the world again, a record that is in the city’s DNA”, said mayor Roberto Gualtieri. “We want to relaunch and invest in the sector. With this event we aim to make Rome a capital of fashion all year round.”

This sentiment was echoed by the city’s councillor for major events, Alessandro Onorato, who said it is “essential for Rome to have Valentino back here”, adding: “We are talking about a group that has made fashion history”.

After the event, from 10-12 July, Valentino will open its historic archives (1959-1973) to the public at Palazzo Mignanelli, with guided tours (maximum 40 people at a time) during which it will be possible to admire its precious collections of vintage designs.