FEMALE And Valentino Turned A Gelateria Into The Coolest Party in Town
Singapore’s creatives pulled up in style for a sugar-sweet soiree hosted by FEMALE and the Roman house.
Imagine the perfect Italian summer: gelato in one hand, nowhere to be, and everyone around you looking like they just stepped off a Luca Guadagnino set. Now erase the cobblestone streets, replace them with Club Street, and you’ve basically got what went down at gelataria Messina Singapore last Friday evening where Valentino, in collaboration with FEMALE, put on a small, intimate party to celebrate the arrival of the brand's Fall 2025 collection.
Inspired by said collection's Glen Luchford-lensed campaign The Poetics of Everyday — think sunlit ennui, gorgeously hazy colours and absurdly attractive people hanging out at an ice cream parlour — the Valentino x FEMALE event transported that cinematic Italian energy right onto our balmy shores. No passport needed, just good gelato, great company, and more than 60 of FEMALE’s favourite creative minds coming together for a night of cold scoops and warm conversations.
Seen snippets of the party on your feed? Here’s the full scoop (yes pun intended):
THE EVENT MARKED THE FIRST TIME MESSINA SINGAPORE HAS WORKED WITH A LUXURY HOUSE
Aussie cult favourite Messina had only opened its doors a month ago on 1 Club Street and since then, it's seen snaking queues every day for its famously scrumptious small-batch gelato that are made in-house. Some might say its fortuitous timing, given that the Valentino collection's campaign centred around an ice cream parlour - we say it's that and smart thinking on the Roman house's marketing team.
MESSINA CREATED A CUSTOM FLAVOUR JUST FOR VALENTINO
Named the Amaretto Sour, the gelato institution created this bold zabaglione gelato (the classic Italian dessert made with egg yolks, sugar and wine) in tribute to Valentino's Fall 2025 collection. It comes packed with Amarena cherry jam and crushed amaretti biscuits, and the result is a scoop that’s gently tangy and bursting with ripe cherry flavour, balanced by the sweet crunch of almondy biscuit crumbs. Small wonder it was the big hit of the night - and it's only available at Messina till the first weekend of July. You know what to do.
IT WAS A PARTY - BUT A SOBER ONE
Echoing the sun-drenched landscape seen in the Valentino film, as well as the growing sober party movement that's fast gaining traction both here and globally, Valentino tapped on emerging collective Beans and Beat to curate the sound for the evening (the party took place from 5pm - 8pm).
YEP, NO ALCOHOL REQUIRED TO CREATE GREAT VIBES
Available for that night only, a mocktail similarly inspired by cherries - fashion fiends will know that the Valentino Fall 2025 collection sported many prints of the fruit, wink.
JEFF SATUR + ICE CREAM = HEAVEN
Alongside the gelato, guests could also pick up complimentary copies of FEMALE's June 2025 issue, the poster boy of which is none other than Thai crooner Jeff Satur, who is of course also an ambassador for Valentino.
Below, snapshots of the event throughout the evening:
From left: Sanchia Tan, co-founder of the buzzy textile accessories label Tanchen, FEMALE's editor-in-chief Noelle Loh, and creative director and producer Charmaine Seah-Ong
And the special of the day is...
Budding indie rock chanteuse Mila Bea, who we profiled in FEMALE's Jan/Feb 2025 issue
Another growing music superstar was also in attendance: singer-songwriter Regina Song, pictured here enjoying Messina’s Amaretto Sour milkshake and a Valentino Garavani Viva Superstar crossbody bag
A constellation of TikTok queens - from left: freelance actress Qilah Rose, beauty guru Clara Li (aka Clara Slays) and thrifter supreme Nicole Chin
Stylist and graphic designer Erwinshah Hassan (left) together with model Sophia Begum
Begum is obviously a popular figure - here she's being fed by stylist and fashion designer Putri Adif (right)
Content creator, model, and singer Ally Teo clearly can't get enough of Messina's gelato
Food artist extraordinaire Gong Hua always gives us a look
Cute socks to go with even cuter Valentino Garavani Fawcette platform sandals
FEMALE's editor-in-chief Noelle Loh (left) and features editor Keng Yang Shuen (right) welcoming guests - pictured here, Isabell Annalin Hansen (second from left) and Dennis Ng of the emerging botanical design studio Fawn World
Fashion designer Denise Yeo, who's behind the maximalist accessories label Miao Atelier
Model Melanie Jane Fernandez and fellow model - and entrepreneur behind the chic accessories label Sunday Pilates Club - Tanisha Khan (right)
Our favourite cafe girlboss Asmine Koh of Hideout Coffee Bar
Artist and curator Anna Du Toit (in middle) holding court
More Valentino beauties spotted: the elegant Valentino Garavani Vain shoulder bag (left) and the haute bohemian Valentino Garavani Nellcote (right)
Art director and party queen Rachelle Hristenko (left), founder of the Adults Do Hard Dance raves, and graphic designer Jae Huang
Sisters Paige (left) and Claire Boon always make for a cute pair - they run a small crochet accessories label and do graphic design respectively
Like we mentioned earlier, there are loads of sly references to cherries throughout the night - here, the cherry-esque canapes (cherry tomatoes to be precise) proved to be irresistible in taste (and camera appeal)
Model and vintage fashion enthusiast Megan Vanessa
Fashion designer Rachael Cheong of the sparkly-meets-spiky accessories label Closet Children (right), and Hannah Alkaff, founder of the crochet bag brand ByGalk
National serviceman and voracious shopper Mendel Phua (right), together with FEMALE's content producer and stylist Pang Jia Wei
Good gelato, even better hospitality from the Messina staff.
Freelance copywriter Natalie Seow (right) with her partner, legal associate Gideon Phong
Artist and fine arts student Hee Ker Ru (right), together with part-time zookeeper Sarah Kwa
The model squad is here: from left, Selina Tan, Phoebe Song, Claire Lee and Serena Jane McNeill
The always fashionable Tan siblings - Sarah (left) and Sonia (right) run Salt Salon, the chicest private dining experience in town, while Krispin (middle) is a photographer and filmmaker
Ceramic artist Jenevieve Woon deliberating over which flavour to go for next
Art worker and emerging artist Phoo Myet Che, Pearl (left) is here for both yummy gelato and photos
Freelance actress Qilah Rose in a very new Valentino-esque fit
Models Sophia Begum (left) and Sana Kir
Xavier Eger and Vegas Lee (right) from the archival fashion store Upstairs Garments
Graphic designers Zarer Lim (left) and Ang Junliang
Designer, educator and founder of the quirky new homeware label Vessels Jariel Ann (in middle), along with FEMALE's content producer and stylist Pang Jia Wei (left) and features editor Keng Yang Shuen
Philosophy student Alyzza Mercado came for the fashion and stayed for the gelato