Maison Valentino and Dream Baby Press may seem at first like strange bedfellows. The former is an Italian luxury fashion house with an international footprint and a world-famous creative director. The latter is a scrappy literary start-up known for popping up in New York venues as unconventional as a magic shop and a Financial District Burger King. 

Yet their shared preoccupation with romance and the written word has resulted in a novel collaboration—just in time for Valentine’s Day. Dream Baby Press for Valentino debuts as a curated selection of texts by six contemporary authors and thinkers, ranging from the whimsically irreverent to the deeply heartfelt.

Aiming to capture love’s many contradictions and complexities, the collection features cultural provocateur and Dream Baby Press founder Matt Starr, actress and artist Jemima Kirke, musician and writer Brontez Purnell, digital diarist Mackenzie Thomas, acclaimed screenwriter Jerry Stahl, and bestselling author Coco Mellors. 

In order to get your hands on their words, you’ll have to visit one of a handful of Valentino boutiques in the U.S. or Europe. The texts—rendered in each author’s handwriting—will be available in person from Feb. 12 to 14. 

Founded in 2022, Dream Baby Press has built a cult following for its irreverent approach to contemporary literature. It is perhaps best known for The Love/Hate Lists, an online project that turns personal sentiment into poetic form, and IRL fan fiction and erotic fiction readings.

In Valentino, it finds a fitting counterpart—a maison that has long championed artistic expression, from couture to culture. With Alessandro Michele now at the creative helm, the house continues its legacy of artistry—not just in fabric and form, but in the written word as well.