Valentino’s 'Fireflies' by Alessandro Michele puts 70s silhouettes in the Paris spotlight

PARIS (AP) — Against strobe lights that suggested seediness more than spectacle, Alessandro Michele sent out “Fireflies,” a Valentino collection that showed restraint where once there was riot. Prim ’70s silhouettes — bows, ruching, velvet skirts — set a mood at Paris Fashion Week of controlled nostalgia.

The high point was a draped gold gown with a feathered white collar, evoking myth and Valentino’s Roman past. A polka-dot shirt, satin skirts split with bright yellow panels, and occasional colorblocking kept the eclectic spirit alive, though without the exuberant force Michele has deployed before.