Valentino imagines an ephemeral cinema in his colors

The Italian fashion house unveils these days a fully branded cinema room at the 421 Arts Campus in Abu Dhabi. A brand experience that aims to present one of the great inspirations behind the “Avant Les Débuts” collection in a strategic market.

Fellini on display at Alessandro Michele's Valentino Cinema

Large armchairs with armrests, soft carpet and heavy velvet curtains: the cinema room designed by Valentino has succeeded in combining a certain form of opulence with the minimalism of monochrome.

Presented this week, Valentino Cinema aims to highlight the recent marketing of "Avant Les Débuts" , Alessandro Michele 's inaugural collection for the label. To design the campaign for his first series of silhouettes since his appointment as artistic director of the brand in March 2024, the designer - previously at Gucci - drew in particular on the filmography of his compatriot, filmmaker Federico Fellini . An inspiration that gives rise, here, to four evenings of screenings of the director's films with "La Dolce Vita" (1960), "8 1/2" (1963) and "Roma" (1972) on the bill.

A strategic presence in the Middle East

This initiative, which aims to celebrate "the genius of Italian film" and "present to an international audience the eternal allure of Rome and its cinematic landscapes" , is the result of a partnership between the luxury house and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office.

With this event, Valentino intends to consolidate its strategic footprint on the Arabian Peninsula , while, according to the True-Luxury Global Consumer Insight 2023 report (Boston Consulting Group/Altagamma), the personal luxury market in the Middle East could reach 30 to 35 billion euros in 2030, double the value of 2022. At the end of 2022, the brand had already chosen Doha, Qatar, to kick off "Forever Valentino" , its largest Haute Couture exhibition to date.

As a reminder, Valentino is majority-owned by the Qatari investment fund Mayhoola . In July 2023, the French group Kering - owner of Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Saint Laurent, among others - announced a 30% stake in the House, worth €1.7 billion. The agreement also included an option allowing Kering to acquire the entire capital of Valentino with a deadline set at 2028 at the latest.