Alessandro Michele returns to the fashion world with Valentino; as creative director, he will be based in Rome, the heart of the company and the city where it was founded in 1960
Following his departure from Gucci, Alessandro Michele sent the fashion world into a frenzy, questioning his next move. It was only yesterday when the pondering stopped; Maison Valentino announced that Michele will be joining the brand as creative director, effective 2 April 2024.
“It’s an incredible honour for me to be welcomed at Maison Valentino,” expressed Michele. “I feel the immense joy and the huge responsibility to join a Maison de Couture that has the word ‘beauty’ carved on a collective story, made of distinctive elegance, refinement and extreme grace.”
Bringing a much-anticipated fusion of eclectic charm and Valentino’s classical elegance, Michele’s new era is a nod to the past and a step towards a future rich with creativity. Jacopo Venturini, Valentino’s CEO, who shares a past work history with Michele at Gucci, warmly welcomes his ‘profound intelligence’ and ‘wonderful lightness’. The fashion world is now abuzz with speculation on how Michele will marry his distinct sense of style with the ‘beauty’ and ‘grace’ embedded in Valentino’s DNA—terms the designer reveres and repeatedly invokes while discussing his new role.
Valentino’s foundations, laid by Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti, shine as a beacon for Michele, who cherishes the ‘collective story’ and the ‘sense of wonder’ it inspires. He steps in to fill the notable vacuum left by Pierpaolo Piccioli, whose 25-year legacy at Valentino has been marked by designs that graced various celebrities, among them the likes of Zendaya.
As the fashion world sets its sights on Paris Fashion Week, Michele’s impending debut with the Spring/Summer 2025 collection delineates a milestone not just for the designer but for Valentino. This appointment inked with the heritage of Rome and an envisioned future, sets the stage for a narrative twined with elegance, rewriting the sartorial story for a new epoch. The industry waits with bated breath, as Michele crafts a ‘new blooming’ for one of fashion’s most revered labels.
