PARIS - Imagine being a Roman-born designer and being handed the keys to the most quintessentially Roman couture house. For Alessandro Michele, who on Wednesday joined the most rarefied ranks of his profession with his debut made-to-measure collection for Valentino,

Alessandro Michele’s first couture collection for Valentino reimagines the house’s legacy with rich historical references.

When Alessandro Michele was growing up in Rome in the 1970s, one of his favorite pastimes was to rummage through his mother’s closet and to run his hands over the rustling taffeta, glinting sequins, and other adornments of time past.