Alessandro Michele was named the creative director of Valentino

It won’t last long. Valentino announced the appointment of Alessandro Michele as Creative Director on Thursday, March 28. brand. A position that remained vacant for only a few days: his predecessor, Pierpaolo Piccioli, stepped down on March 22 after twenty-five years at the Italian house, including eight years as artistic director.

The return of 51-year-old Alessandro Michele to the forefront of the fashion scene should undoubtedly delight his many fans, who managed to re-enchant the identity of Gucci during his seven years as artistic director, from 2015 to 2022, with Roman. The steering wheel was Gucci. It is truly positioned as one of the most desirable brands from the moment.

His baroque, romantic and grandiose world was reflected around spectacular fashion shows: we remember the models who paraded with their silicone version under their arms for the autumn-winter 2018-2019 collection, or even the spring-summer 2023 season. , when seventy-eight pairs of identically dressed twins disoriented the gathering.

A graduate of Rome’s Academy of Costume and Fashion, Alessandro Michele, who worked in the accessories department at Fendi, designed a silhouette at Gucci marked by inspired pieces. Seventies, with long, steamy dresses in floral prints, bushy blouses and even velvet suits. In 2021, he signed a collection in collaboration with Demna, from the house of Balenciaga (also owned by Kering), all with different logos and bold prints. His vision, which is radically different from the previous Gucci, focused on the femme fatale and the sexy, imposed itself without transition.

In this way, Alessandro Michele strengthened Gucci’s place as the most important brand of the Kering group: its annual sales increased from 3.5 billion euros in 2015 to 6.2 billion euros in 2017, then to 9.73 billion euros in 2021. Only Gucci was represented that year. More than half of Kering’s turnover.

The first collection in September in Paris

Despite these good results, the brand and the designer parted ways at the end of 2022, amid artistic and commercial differences. The Covid-19 crisis not only slowed down luxury activity, but also gave rise to new desires and trends: more practical, comfortable and functional fashion, discreet luxury. Aesthetics far from Michel’s world.

After his departure, the rumor machine continued to run, suggesting his imminent arrival as soon as a position was vacant: at McQueen, Moschino, Walter Albini… or at Fendi and Bulgari (LVMH), the established houses in Rome, where Michele lives. However, it is at Valentino that he will present his next collection in Paris in September for the spring-summer 2025 season.

Since 2012, Valentino has been majority owned by Mayhoola, the investment fund of the Qatari ruling family, Al Thani. In July 2023, Kering acquired a 30% stake, with an option that allows it to acquire 100% of the brand no later than 2028. Alessandro Michele is therefore returning to the Kering Group despite their tumultuous split in 2022.

François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering, expressed his satisfaction at finding the designer in a press release: “ I am delighted that Alessandro has been appointed to the creative direction of Valentino and I am confident that, thanks to his creativity, culture and multiple talents, he will be able to brilliantly interpret and illuminate the unique heritage of this magnificent house. . »

High fashion workout

The announcement comes in a delicate context for Kering: on March 19, François-Henri Pinault warned that the group’s turnover in the first quarter of 2024 was expected to decline by 10%. “almost 20%” Gucci sales during this period. The next day, shares of the French group lost almost 14% of their value on the Paris stock exchange.

In turn, Michele expressed it “It is a great joy and a great responsibility to join a house that has written the word ‘beauty’ into collective history, distinguished by elegance, refinement and exceptional grace. ». Indeed, the Roman will be able to challenge the practice of haute couture for the first time, since 1989 Valentino has been a guest member of the Haute Couture and Fashion Federation in Paris.

In addition, he will be responsible for women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, a very broad field of action that corresponds to his vision of fashion: during Gucci, he profoundly changed the brand, both in terms of aesthetics. clothing, as well as boutiques or communication. To the point that Gucci’s DNA has been erased behind Michele. In a luxury sector in crisis, few houses today are willing to give such freedom to an artistic director, with the risks that come with it. Except for Kering, of course.