There was a very particular gown at Valentino’s spring/summer 2027 show this afternoon in Paris that you almost had to see in motion to believe. Strapless, hot pink, and floor-length with a sculpted bustier bodice, as it turned the runway, it revealed an airy, fin-like circular ruffle release with a big black bow. That gown was just the start. The entire collection showcased creative director Alessandro Michele flexing his maximalist muscles and giving us more, more, more. Consider colorful lace with dimensional fabric flowers and comic shine, tight little minidresses with explosive voluminous bows for skirts and color galore. Michele mixed lilac and yellow, hot pink, forest green, and lemon yellow with cherry red, with subtle codes referencing the legacy of the house of Valentino.The collection was dubbed “Antibiblioteca” and set in the palatial, gorgeous reading room of the 19th-century Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève in Paris. Guests, including Cynthia Erivo and Law Roach, were seated at long wooden reading tables with green antique-style reading lamps. Further adding to the theme, showgoers were asked to bring a book along. In the show notes, Valentino called the runway “a visual antilibrary, a catalogue of what remains possible.”The mood was fully party-ready, with elements of ’80s excess. Bow knit skirts, feather-trimmed tops, mermaid skirts, belted leather blazers, opera gloves, and baseball caps emblazoned with “villain teen” were all there. Big ruffled dresses in delightful shades of marigold were like a jolt of energy amidst a season where many labels prioritized a toned-down aesthetic.Daniele Venturelli//Getty ImagesDaniele Venturelli//Getty ImagesThere was a feeling of pops of joy breaking through mundaneness via all the feathered trims and accoutrements like big amber beads over suits. While it’s true that the 80-look collection may have felt a bit excessive, the accessories kept it interesting. There were cummerbunds, dramatic hats, opera gloves, main-character sunglasses, and, most importantly, extremely layered, incredibly stacked necklaces. Pearls, supersized charms covered in a rainbow of crystals, and ultra-long, amber-inspired beads led the charge. Michele had a cult following for his jewelry at Gucci, and he’s also a fan of wearing heaps of it himself.Daniele Venturelli//Getty ImagesDaniele Venturelli//Getty ImagesDaniele Venturelli//Getty ImagesFor the spring/summer 2027 season, designers have been thoroughly obsessed with citing summer, ease, lightness, and the everyday. But not here. The music blared with mentions of party everywhere while the lights above strobed as if the audience was in a club rather than a library. The overwhelming message was instead that you need no occasion to get dressed up.Kristen BatemanContributing EditorKristen Bateman is a contributing editor at Harper’s Bazaar. Her first fashion article was published in Vogue Italia during her junior year of high school. Since then, she has interned and contributed to WWD, Glamour, Lucky, i-D, Marie Claire and more. She created and writes the #ChicEats column and covers fashion and culture for Bazaar. When not writing, she follows the latest runway collections, dyes her hair to match her mood, and practices her Italian in hopes of scoring 90% off Prada at the Tuscan outlets. She loves vintage shopping, dessert and cats.