Gigi Hadid opened the runway at Vogue World: Milano on September 22 in a Valentino Haute Couture gown from the house's Spring/Summer 2025 collection. The period-inspired design, created by Alessandro Michele, was among the first couture pieces he designed after becoming Valentino's creative director and was originally presented in Paris in January 2025.
The look placed Hadid at the center of the show's opening celebration of Renaissance-inspired craftsmanship. Vogue's coverage identified the gown as look 17 from Valentino's Spring 2025 Haute Couture collection, with its elaborate construction providing the opening statement for a runway that explored different chapters of Italian fashion.
A Valentino Gown Made From Recycled Venetian Quilts
The couture gown is crafted from recycled Venetian quilts and required 1,680 hours to complete by hand, according to Vogue. Its construction features voluminous puffed sleeves and a full skirt, while the patchwork treatment was described by Vogue as a postmodern interpretation of the technique.
An ivory-organza ruffled collar and matching cuffs frame the neckline and sleeves. Hadid completed the look with Valentino shoes and Damiani earrings.
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The design also reflects Michele's approach to the Spring 2025 couture collection. In the show's notes, the designer described each dress as evoking "a multitude of interconnected worlds" through layers of references, an approach that can be seen in the gown's combination of historical dress codes and patchwork craftsmanship.
Valentino's own couture materials identify the Spring/Summer 2025 collection as Valentino Vertigineux, created under Michele's creative direction and rooted in the house's couture heritage and artisanal techniques.
Vogue World: Milano Celebrates Italian Craftsmanship
Hadid's opening appearance came as part of the fifth edition of Vogue World, which arrived in Milan on the first day of Milan Fashion Week. The event was staged inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and centered on Italian craftsmanship, fashion history and the relationship between traditional handwork and technological innovation.
Vogue World: Milano was organized into five acts: The Artisanal Revolution, The Industrial Revolution, Made in Italy, The Age of Intelligence and The Imagination Revolution. The opening act looked to the period before industrialization, with Renaissance-era fashion, textiles, embellishment and handcrafted techniques informing the presentation.
The event brought together established Italian fashion houses, artisans, performers and models. Vogue reported that houses including Prada, Armani, Versace, Ferragamo and Gucci were invited to create one-of-a-kind pieces inspired by the event's creative theme, while models including Hadid, Vittoria Ceretti and Mariacarla Boscono appeared across the presentation.
The Galleria itself was central to the event's concept. Vogue described the historic glass-roofed arcade as a setting that connected the celebration to Milan's history of craftsmanship, while the production used its architecture and central mosaic floor as part of the show's visual language.
The program also incorporated contributions from Teatro alla Scala and its academy, alongside a range of Italian cultural and creative institutions. The event raised funds for the Quarto Oggiaro Library in northwestern Milan.
For Hadid, the Valentino gown provided a direct connection between the event's opening Renaissance-inspired theme and contemporary haute couture. Its recycled Venetian quilt construction, extensive handwork and historical references made the look particularly aligned with Vogue World: Milano's focus on Italian craft and the continuing dialogue between tradition and innovation.
