The news came out last night that Alessandro Michele, the artistic director of the House of Gucci, is leaving the company. Here is a look back at his highlights at the Italian luxury brand.
Alessandro Michele joined Gucci in 2002 after working as an accessories designer for Fendi. During his twenty years at Gucci, he held several positions, including Creative Director of Leather Goods, and then became the right-hand man to then Artistic Director Frida Giannini. In January 2015, he was appointed Artistic Director of the House. At the time, this choice was not very well received, as he was not yet known to the general public.
A graduate of the Academy of Costume and Fashion in Rome, the 49-year-old designer has worked to redefine and even shake up the house’s style. When he started, Gucci was synonymous with “sexy”, with mini dresses, tight trousers and a slim silhouette with stilettos. With him, the label became romantic and baroque, with bohemian references to the seventies, clashes of prints and bright colours.
In tune with the times, Alessandro Michele played a lot with the mix of genres, having male models wear jewellery or dresses. His creative vision was recognised less than a year after taking up his post by the British Fashion Council, which awarded him the 2015 International Designer Award at its Fashion Awards. In 2016, the Council of Fashion Designers of America presented her with the International Award.
His Fashion Week debut as a designer in autumn 2015 made a lasting impression. We remember the fur-lined loafers and impeccably glamorous cuts, setting the tone for change at the Italian fashion house.
His singular vision has won over discerning celebrities such as Jared Leto, Dakota Johnson, Billie Eilish and Harry Styles.
Alessandro Michele also has a flair for surprising collaborations. There was the Hacker project in autumn 2021 with Demna Gvasalia, who works for Balenciaga, and then a year later, the Adidas collaboration with Gucci. 2021 is a big year, marked by the House’s centenary.
It was again under Alessandro Michele’s tenure, at the end of 2021, that the company launched The Vault, an online resale project of reworked treasures from the label’s jet-setting glory days. Vintage treasures highlighted by Ridley Scott‘s 2021 film “House of Gucci”. His friend Jared Leto plays the role of Paolo Gucci, and Lady Gaga, the film’s star, wears his dresses on the film’s promotional red carpet circuit.
Despite these great plans and after having breathed a breath of fresh air, Gucci’s sales finally began to fall, and in the wake of the pandemic, so did the shares of parent company Kering.
Alessandro Michele says of his departure: “There are times when paths separate because of the different perspectives each of us may have. Today marks the end of an extraordinary journey that has lasted more than twenty years, with a company to which I have tirelessly devoted all my love and creative passion. During this long period, Gucci has been my home, my adopted family. (…) May you continue to be nourished by poetic and inclusive imagery, staying true to your values. May you always live by your passions, propelled by the wind of freedom.” A moving message that speaks to his creative journey at Gucci, forever marked by the power of the visionary designer.
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Featured photo : © Giovanni Attili
