Alessandro Michele’s new role as the creative director of Valentino had the entire fashion world pondering which of his Gucci muses would follow him from one storied Italian brand to another. Lana Del Rey, one of Michele’s biggest fans during his time at Gucci, proved that she’s entirely on board with his new Valentino gig during the InStyle Imagemaker Awards last night.
Del Rey and her stylist Molly Dickson—who was honored for her work alongside several other celebrity stylists at the Beverly Hills event—picked out a regal, Art Deco-inspired number from Valentino’s resort 2025 collection. The singer’s ivory dress featured gauzy sheer inserts and ornate beading that cascaded throughout the piece. Del Rey elevated her gown with a shaggy stole, draped loosely on her arms, and an elegant chignon.
Michele, who was announced as Valentino’s new designer in March, has debuted two collections for the Roman brand thus far. He unveiled Valentino’s resort 2025 offering (which Del Rey’s gown is part of) as an unannounced surprise in June before formally presenting the spring 2025 collection at Paris Fashion Week last month. Many of Michele’s Gucci-era friends were in attendance at the latter presentation: Jared Leto, Florence Welch, and Harry Styles all took their place on the front row.
So far, Michele has transported many of his design codes—think bucolic prairie dresses dripping in sequins, retro pattern clashing—from Gucci to Valentino. It’s natural then that Del Rey’s glamorous, Old Hollywood style would mix nicely with Michele’s new vision for Valentino. It’ll be hard for Michele to top Del Rey’s 2018 Met Gala gown, though.
Del Rey has been polishing her red carpet style over the past few months, largely in part due to her partnership with Dickson. The stylist (also behind Sydney Sweeney’s leading lady wardrobe and Bella Hadid’s red carpet fashion) has outfitted the singer in everything from demure Chanel tweed to gothic stage costumes. The pair’s highest profile moment came during the Met Gala in May where Del Rey donned a custom McQueen number designed by the brand’s new creative director Seán McGirr. Her look referenced Lee McQueen’s landmark fall 2006 collection.
Del Rey has always marched to the beat of her drum on the red carpet—remember her 2020 Oscars gown that was a last-minute mall purchase? But between her new working relationship with Dickson and what appears to be a return to Michele’s eclectic group of muses at Valentino, expect some big things from her step and repeat style in the coming months.
