VALENTINO'S KAISERPANORAMA REFERENCE

Valentino

Summary:

• Valentino's haute couture show references kaiserpanorama, a circular wooden optical device from the late 1800s
• Creative director Alessandro Michele wanted to counter social media's rapid information flow with focused attention
• The show format allows individual viewing perspectives while maintaining collective experience

Valentino brought an unusual historical reference to Paris for its latest haute coutre presentation. The kaiserpanorama, a device from the late 1800s, served as the main inspiration. This wooden optical machine predated cinema and offered an early form of visual storytelling.

The kaiserpanorama was a circular wooden structure. Viewers looked through small eyepieces to see photographs and images from distant places. The device brought the outside world into a single room. People experienced the viewing together but each person had their own individual view through separate holes.

Creative director Alessandro Michele chose this reference deliberately. He wanted the show to contrast with how social media works today. The speed of information and constant exposure online shaped his thinking about the presentation format.

"In the context of the Specula Mundi show, the kaiserpanorama takes the form of a contemporary altar: a place of symbolic concentration that establishes a ritual, directs the gaze and regulates access", Michele said. "What appears there is separated from common use, isolated, highlighted, made worthy of contemplation."

Michele explained how the original device influenced his approach. Bells in historical kaiserpanoramas signaled the transition between images. For the show, techno music replaced those bells. The music became what Michele called liturgical pulsations marking when each look appeared.

The format creates focused attention. Each viewer gets a personal perspective while sharing the space with others. This stands in contrast to how fashion shows typically work, where everyone sees the same view from their seats.

The kaiserpanorama concept evolved over time into other entertainment forms. Peep shows adopted the same principle of individual viewing stations around a central stage. These spaces, whether erotic or not, gave spectators an intimate view of performances on the central platform.

The Specula Mundi set borrowed this same structure. Viewers positioned around the presentation space each had their own unique sightline. The circular arrangement meant no two people saw exactly the same thing at the same moment.

Michele described the clothes as epiphanies. He referenced Hollywood imagery and archaeological excavation in his vision. The garments appeared as what he called archaic presences with contemporary relevance.

The choice to reference pre-cinema technology says something about how Michele views modern fashion presentation. Digital platforms let millions watch shows simultaneously. Everyone sees the same livestream. The kaiserpanorama model does the opposite. It prioritizes individual experience within a shared moment.

This approach challenges current fashion industry practices. Brands compete for attention online. Content moves fast. Shows get broadcast globally. The kaiserpanorama reference suggests an alternative. Slow down. Look closely. Experience something personal.

The wooden device from the 1800s was designed for collective viewing with individual perspectives. Michele adapted this concept for haute couture. The result was a show about attention, ritual, and how we look at clothes when we slow down enough to really see them.