On July 8, Valentino will walk the FW22 Haute Couture runway in Rome, "an unprecedented event," said Roberto Gualtieri, mayor of Rome. The set has not yet been fully unveiled, but the show is expected to span an area from Piazza Mignanelli to nearby Piazza di Spagna. "A way," in the words of CEO Jacopo Venturini, "to return an imagery related to fashion to Rome."

Its impact will go far beyond the fashion show: in fact, the fashion house will finance projects to restore the city's historical and artistic heritage. In particular, Valentino will provide for the replacement of the two palm trees in Piazza di Spagna - symbols of the area - irreparably compromised by the attacks of the red weevil pest, and for financing the restoration of the mosaics of the Baths of Caracalla, where the dinner that will conclude the event will be held. 

Students from various fashion and design schools will be admitted to the show, and in addition, Valentino will open its archives from July 10 to 12 to visitors, including students. "Rome is the stage for our daily activities, and it's not just a tourist site, we are proudly aware of the identity of this beautiful city where contrasts coexist everywhere," creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli explained about the staging of the fashion show in the city to WWD. "Fashion has a responsibility that it expresses through beauty. We have to give a voice to those who don't have one. I think Valentino in the past has been associated with lifestyle, with people who shared superficial things, castles, cars, dogs. For me today Valentino should represent a community that shares the same values, which are also mine," the designer concluded.