MILAN — Valentina Nervi has been quietly named the first creative director of Italian brand Amen.
The designer officially took over the role on Oct. 1 and will unveil her first collection for the brand with a runway show during Riyadh Fashion Week on Friday.
This will also mark the first official runway show of the Italian brand, which was founded by Jacopo Tonelli in 2003 and is headquartered at Ozzano dell’Emilia, a 40-minute drive from Bologna.
Born in Rome, Nervi cut her teeth designing beachwear, underwear and eveningwear collections for labels like Ermanno Scervino, Roberto Cavalli and Redemption, before going solo and introducing her own Nervi label in 2019.
Her previous stints have forged her feminine aesthetic and penchant for eveningwear and party dressing. To be sure, the Nervi brand has carved out a niche with its glamourous attires paying tribute to the ‘70s and ‘80s female icons, rich in sequins and marabou feathers and featuring sophisticated constructions inspired by the world of lingerie.
Her vision matches the ethos of the Amen brand, whose proposition heavy on dresses, gowns and tailored outerwear resonates with evening occasions and red carpet events. With price tags swinging between 250 euros for blouses to roughly 3,000 euros for gowns, Amen collections are available at 80 doors globally, with the biggest part of the distribution network concentrated in Italy.
“I accepted this role because I felt a spontaneous connection with the Amen universe. It’s a brand speaking of light, femininity and strength — values I feel as my own,” Nervi said. “I was drawn to the opportunity to reinterpret an aesthetic that I already feel close to, bringing it into a more sartorial language, but without losing its glamorous and effortless allure.”
“The brand has a strong identity, and together with the design team, I intend to develop collections that reflect authenticity and glamour, while maintaining a high level of product excellence,” continued the designer, underscoring that her goal is to evolve the brand by elevating its cuts, volumes and constructions.
“The mission is to enhance the brand’s DNA and expand its international reach, building a more contemporary image without distorting its essence,” Nervi said.
“Valentina Nervi’s creativity stands out for a tailored approach and meticulous attention to detail. Her vision will enrich the brand to confirm its approach of care and refinement,” Tonelli said.
A preview of Valentina Nervi’s first collection for Amen, which will be presented during Riyadh Fashion Week.
Courtesy of Amen
The designer will bank on the experience piled during her previous gigs. “Each collaboration has taught me the importance of balancing creativity and practicality. I’ve learned how to build a strong yet accessible vision, able to dialogue with the international market without losing authenticity. I’m bringing this awareness to Amen: to spark desire, but with consistency, identity and quality,” she said.
As for her own brand, after six years the designer pivoted it toward a couture direction, focusing on custom creations. It is understood that the label will continue to operate as such, while Nervi will focus on her new job at Amen.
“That’s a project that remains very close to my heart — more intimate and personal, which allows me to work in an artisanal and direct way with clients. Today my priority is Amen, but I consider Nervi a creative laboratory, a place of freedom that will continue to evolve in parallel,” she said.
Nervi also splits her time as designer by animating parties with DJ sets at night, an activity that inevitably informed her approach to fashion, in both designs and inventive details she introduced in her collections over the years, such as including a QR on the label of her clothes that redirects to playlists she curated for different moments.
Teasing her seminal spring 2026 collection for Amen, Nervi said it will be titled “Lunatica,” as inspired by the evocative world of 1930s cartomancy and aimed at capturing the different facets of the Amen woman.
“It’s a collection that celebrates the complexity and freedom behind femininity, without pigeonholing it into a single style. Each look is a different phase of the same moon,” she said.
Esoteric symbols, tarot cards, celestial maps and Art Deco elements will converge into the lineup, which will also play with contrasts between romantic vibe and rock attitude, as well as between lightness and structure, alternating the fluidity of layered chiffon dresses, draped frocks and caftans with the constructions of bustiers, body suits and embroidered denim.
As reported, Riyadh Fashion Week will feature a record 30-plus shows from Thursday to Tuesday, with the likes of Stella McCartney presenting her first show in the Kingdom alongside Vivienne Westwood, in addition to top Saudi talent. McCartney will close the event, which presented its most ambitious schedule to date since its 2023 debut. The increased scale reflects the growing momentum of Saudi Arabia‘s fashion sector and the Kingdom’s expanding role as a global fashion hub.
