Shane Boose, best known as Sombr, who starred in our VMAN 56 cover story earlier this year, fronts the Valentino Pre-Fall 2026 campaign, shot by Johnny Dufort and styled by Jonathan Kaye with art direction by Christopher Simmonds. The campaign is shot inside Cy Twombly’s palazzo in Bassano in Teverina, a villa the artist purchased in 1975 and used as a creative sanctuary for over thirty years.

For Michele, the shoot is rooted in a specific thread of Valentino history: in 1968, Henry Clarke photographed Valentino Garavani’s white collection inside Twombly’s Roman apartment. Shooting inside another of the artist’s homes some fifty years later is like tuning into a frequency that never really stopped broadcasting. For Sombr, it’s just the latest stop in what’s shaping up to be a very good year.

Sombr for Valentino Pre-Fall 2026, photography by Johnny Dufort

The singer is a natural fit for that energy. Fresh off his Coachella debut and a string of Grammy looks that turned heads, he’s been building a visual language that moves in lockstep with his sound, and this campaign slots right into it. Fashion, he says, is something he thinks about deeply. “It’s art to me. It’s a really important part of my creative process and everything I do.”

Sombr for Valentino Pre-Fall 2026, photography by Johnny Dufort

His first months as a Valentino brand ambassador have been full ones. The Grammy red carpet, two Coachella looks, and now a campaign shot inside one of the art world’s most storied spaces. When asked which looks have stood out, the singer doesn’t hesitate long. “It’s really hard to decide, but if I had to choose, the red carpet and performance looks for the Grammys and my two Coachella looks. Honestly, I love them all. My interactions with Alessandro and the whole Valentino team have been really special.”

As for whether those Coachella looks offer any preview of what’s coming on the “You Are the Reason Tour,” he’s keeping things on the down low for now. “Coachella was definitely its own thing, musically and from a fashion perspective. Working with Alessandro and the team was a dream. I can’t reveal too much about the tour just yet, but I’m excited to create something really special and show everyone soon.”