Freedom on a Strap: Valentino’s Nellcôte Bag Is Your New Partner in Crime
Forget the polished runways and high-fashion posturing—Valentino is loosening up. Under the electric vision of Creative Director Alessandro Michele, the Maison’s latest campaign is less about perfection and more about presence. Anchored by the Valentino Garavani Nellcôte bag, this new drop is an invitation to abandon the script and live a little messier, louder, and more joyfully.
Shot by photographer Julie Greve, the campaign lands us in a sun-drenched dreamscape—think hazy music festival vibes without the overpriced beer. Friends lounge in a field, hula-hooping, embracing, and waiting for the beat to drop. The Nellcôte isn’t just a prop in this picture; it’s part of the story. Slung across bodies and strewn in the grass, it carries the weight of the moment and everything that led up to it.
“This bag is a symbol of personal expression and lived moments,” the campaign seems to whisper, and it’s hard not to listen.
A Hit of Hippie with a Couture Twist
Drawing inspiration from the freewheeling energy of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, the Nellcôte taps into a kind of nostalgia that doesn’t feel tired. It’s not trying to recreate Woodstock—it’s more like someone took that spirit, ran it through a Valentino filter, and turned it into something tactile and contemporary.
With its iconic crossbody and tote shapes rendered in plush suede, the Nellcôte gets a seasonal glow-up: embroidered mirrors, trippy jacquards, beaded florals, and garlands that feel like wearable festival flyers. These aren’t bags that blend in—they speak up.
If you’ve already clocked the medium tote from Spring/Summer 2025, Fall’s update introduces smaller versions in materials like grained calf and soft suede. And the detailing? Let’s just say the whimsical Cherryfic embroidery isn’t for the faint of fashion heart.
Not Just a Bag, But a Witness
There’s a reason the Nellcôte keeps showing up in Maison Valentino’s collections. It’s not just a style piece—it’s a companion, a witness to the everyday and the extraordinary. Whether it’s draped across you at a protest, tucked under your arm at a gig, or sitting beside you in a quiet café, the bag is designed to hold more than just your essentials. It holds a mood.
As Alessandro Michele reshapes the narrative of Valentino with his signature touch—equal parts romanticism and rebellion—the Nellcôte is proof that accessories don’t need to scream to be heard. Sometimes, they just need to be there—sturdy, soulful, and unapologetically individual.
Valentino, Rewired
Since its founding in 1960 by Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti, Maison Valentino has been synonymous with elegance. But elegance, like everything else, is evolving. With Michele at the creative helm and Jacopo Venturini leading as CEO since 2020, Valentino is rewriting its legacy—less stiff tradition, more emotional beauty, more space for stories.
Because what’s the point of fashion if it’s not lived in?
Explore the Valentino Garavani Nellcôte collection at valentino.com.
