by Alessandro Michele will make his Valentino debut on Sunday during Paris Fashion Week. The designer, who left Gucci in 2022, was announced as the house’s new creative director in March. Michele succeeds Valentino’s longtime creative director, Pierpaolo Piccioli, who was revealed a day before Michele’s appointment.
In an Instagram post, Michele wrote that her new role comes with “enormous responsibility”.
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“[Valentino] he has carved the word ‘beauty’ into a collective story of research and true grace. My first thought goes to this story: to the richness of its cultural and symbolic heritage, to the sense of wonder it has always managed to generate, to the very valuable identity given to it by its founders, Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti. with unbridled love. These are references that have always been an undoubted source of inspiration for me and that I intend to honor by re-reading them through my creative vision.”
Ahead of Valentino Michele’s first fashion show, WWD provides a primer on the designer, as well as his legacy at labels like Gucci and Fendi.
Michele’s Parents Encouraged Her Love for Art
Speaking to WWD in 2017, Michele explained how his father, an airline technician, influenced his passion for the arts. His mother was also in a creative field, working as an assistant to a film executive.
“My father was an artist,” Michele said. “He had a big impact on my life. My mom did so. They really interested me when I was a child because my mum was obsessed with movies and my dad, with art and other things. And nature and animals and crazy things. So I think I was lucky because I grew up with all that.”
Michele worked under Karl Lagerfeld at Fendi
At the age of 25, Michele was hired by Fendi. Under the direction of Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi, he designed leather goods and met his future Gucci predecessor, Frida Giannini. Michele was eventually promoted to senior accessories designer.
Years later, Michele remembers his time at the label fondly. In an interview with WWD in 2017, Michele said that Fendi was “the best place to learn how to be a creative person.”
“I had a great experience with the brand. Fendi is the only Italian brand – it felt like a couture studio. It wasn’t the kind of studio we usually see in fashion, in prêt-a-porter,” explained Michele. “He was very open to research. It was full of different outside input because of Karl and Silvia, they loved it and still love to always inject something new.”
Michele started working at Gucci in 2002
Michele worked at Gucci for over ten years before becoming creative director. When Giannini was hired at the fashion house in 2002, she brought Michele with her. He worked as an accessories designer under Tom Ford before becoming Giannini’s associate creative director in 2011. In that role, he was responsible for Gucci’s leather goods, shoes, jewelry and home collections.
Michele is credited with Reinventing and Reviving Gucci
Giannini left Gucci abruptly in 2015, with Michele rising to her previous position. At the time, Gucci sales were declining, and president and chief executive officer Marco Bizzarri sought someone with a new vision for the brand, telling WWD that Michele was “exactly the right person” for the role.
His specialty in accessories was very attractive, a source familiar with the company explained to WWD in 2015: “Michele’s choice reinforces the idea that Gucci wants to get back on track with hot accessories. There hasn’t been an iconic product in the last three or four seasons.”
Michele got right to work, completely redesigning the Gucci men’s fall 2015 collection within days. He took his first bow for the brand at that fashion show, although it was his first official Gucci presentation as creative director of the fall 2015 women’s collection. The designer wasted no time reinventing Gucci’s image, creating an eclectic, gender-neutral look -fluid that would soon become a trademark.
Michele, however, didn’t abandon Gucci staples like horsebit loafers, canvas handbags and the label’s iconic GG logo – instead, he revived them with funky twists like fur lining, crystal embellishments and embroidery. This boosted sales of Gucci accessories, which had historically been the house’s cash cow.
By 2017, Gucci saw its strongest increase in revenue in 20 years, with organic sales increasing 48.3 percent in the first quarter to 1.35 billion euros, or $1.44 billion.
During Michele’s tenure, Gucci stopped using real fur, introduced high jewelry and relaunched its beauty line.
Michele recently wrote her First Book
The designer’s autobiography, “La Vita delle Forme: Filosofia del Reincanto [The Life of Shapes: Philosophy of Re-enchantment]” published by HarperCollins Italia in May. The book, written by Emanuele Coccia, bridges Michele’s passions for fashion and philosophy.
According to his writings, the creative director believed he would be fired after his first Gucci show. “I wasn’t thinking about the career,” explained Michele. “I am what I am and I just did what I thought was natural. I just wanted to talk about beauty.”
He also discussed learning about the notion of gender fluidity. “I had never heard of this term before,” Michele wrote. “I only work by looking at what I see around me, and at the time it seemed very normal to me.”
Michele is an Avid Collector
In her book, Michele admits to collecting several types of things, including books, statues, skirts, chairs, pants, cups, pictures and vintage shoes.
“Everything is alive, independent of their shapes, size, purpose and importance,” wrote the designer. “It is not difficult to perceive the breath of what surrounds us: when you pay attention, everything begins to speak. And that’s why it’s like watching anything and entering a library where things whisper, hum, sing.”
One of Michele’s unusual collections is his pot of ceramic calves, some of which date back to the 1700s. This sparked his interest in working with heritage porcelain brand Ginori — owned by Gucci — where he was creative director from 2011 to 2014.
Michele released her First Valentino Collection in 2024
Michele shocked the fashion world with her first collection for Valentino, unveiled in June. The holiday 2025 line includes 171 looks that include womenswear and menswear.
The designer delved into Valentino’s archives for inspiration, reaching across decades including the ’50s, ’70s and ’80s.
“I love things, I have a close relationship with material things, it’s almost like a religious meeting and I’m very privileged to be able to touch. [Garavani’s] designs, as if they were a relic of his life,” Michele told WWD. “The rugs, the Chinese vases, the beautiful things he surrounded himself with and his tailored designs. It increased beauty. I share the same kind of relationship with fashion as a great vehicle for freedom.”
First Look at Alessandro Michele’s Debut Collection for Valentino
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Launch Gallery: First Look at Alessandro Michele’s Debut Collection for Valentino
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