Valentino Turns a Bookstore Into a Love Story for Qixi 2026

For Qixi, China’s centuries-old festival of love, built around the legend of two lovers reunited just once a year, Maison Valentino joins the celebration to unveil an exclusive campaign. Creative Director Alessandro Michele teams up with photographer Wing Shya, best known for shaping the cinematic universe of Wong Kar-wai, to interpret this story in a different way alongside a unique cast: Friend of the House Lars Huang leads alongside models Yidan Huang and Zen Yue, all dressed in Valentino’s Pre-Fall 2026 collection.

The story unfolds inside a bookstore, where three figures drift through shelves and quiet corners, paths crossing without ever fully meeting — the kind of place where lives brush past each other and quietly shift course.

Key pieces anchor the story throughout, including the Valentino Garavani Panthea and DeVain bags, styled with footwear from the Rockstud line.

PHOTO CREDIT: Valentino