The dress code wasn’t the only thing Valentino guests had to consider ahead of the Spring/Summer 2027 show. With the runway taking place inside the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, attendees were also asked to bring a book to donate. Mika Abdalla’s pick? Emma by Jane Austen — a pretty fitting choice, all things considered.
The 26-year-old actor recently wrapped Season 2 of Off Campus, which puts her character, Allie, front and center as she figures out what — and who — she wants when it comes to love. (Emma Woodhouse would like a word.) Off-screen, Abdalla is entering a new chapter of her own. Since the show dropped earlier this year, she’s found herself on a fast track to rising-star status, with a front-row seat at Paris Fashion Week to prove it.
For her first-ever PFW, Abdalla kept the beauty brief simple: she wanted something “fresh,” as she puts it. Dewy skin and a pinky-nude lip checked that box, while smoky brown shadow and a wispy updo brought the appropriate amount of drama. Paired with a breezy chartreuse dress, the look leaned into that romantic, undone glamour that feels right at home in Paris. And the finishing touch was a spritz of Valentino’s Born in Roma Rendez-Vous Ruby perfume.
Below, Abdalla talks Bustle through her coffee-fueled getting-ready routine, the Bulgarian beauty staple she got from her grandma, and why she treats fragrance like another part of getting dressed.
“It’s really important for me to have a calm morning and get a good breakfast in before the chaos starts. I’m typically rushing from glam to dressing to shooting to the venue, so having an hour or two to sit with a coffee and get my mind settled is so necessary.”
“I love matching my fragrance to whatever persona I’m embodying for the day. I feel like there are a million different versions of me, so the Mika who attends an event like this is not the Mika I woke up as yesterday. She’s wearing a different scent for sure.”
“I still prioritize feeling authentic to my personal style at any event I attend. I’m definitely more willing to try looks I wouldn’t historically gravitate toward, but at the end of the day, if I don’t feel like myself, it’s not going to happen. What I love about Born in Roma Rendez-Vous Ruby is that it combines the freshness I felt in my Valentino look with a complex jasmine note I would wear day to day. I felt like myself while still embracing the vibe of the show.”
“My grandma used to bring me rose oil every time she’d go back to Bulgaria. I only have one bottle left from her, and it does smell different from the new ones I got the last time I visited. I only use hers for special moments.”
“I love when people are loyal to a scent. Everyone’s skin holds a fragrance differently, and there’s something so comforting and familiar about smelling someone (not weird) after a long time apart.”
