By Giulia Piceni. Cover image courtesy of Vogue Runway. Photo: Filippo Fior / Vogue Runway
Alessandro Michele is back. During the past few weeks, immediately following Pierpaolo Piccioli’s departure from Valentino, there have been rumours about who would take over as the head of the fashion house once led by the Last Emperor of Fashion, Valentino Garavani. Many names have been circulating among insiders, with some speculating that Dries Van Noten, the creative director of the eponymous fashion house and one of the revered members of the Antwerp Six, known for his mastery of colour, could take control at the Roman fashion house.
Nevertheless, within a short period, another rumour began to spread across social media – and was also soon confirmed to be true – suggesting that Alessandro Michele, the former creative director of Gucci, was among the eligible candidates for the role. In fact, it’s easy to imagine Michele, deeply rooted in Roman culture, embracing the Baroque, pensive, and nostalgic allure of the Eternal City and expressing his creativity through the archival references provided by Valentino, including the Haute Couture line – a feature he had never encountered at Gucci.
During his tenure at the latter brand, Michele honed his skills and established himself as a creative director. This experience served as the springboard that propelled him into the world of fashion, transitioning from being one of the many “big unknowns” — significant and influential figures within brands but lacking recognition from the public — to becoming a celebrated personality.
The reveal of his new role at Valentino was well-received by the fashion community, a clear sign that the public still has a strong desire for Alessandro Michele. This is especially evident when comparing it to the work of his successor at Gucci, Sabato de Sarno, who has failed to convince journalists and the public entirely.
Michele’s significant impact during his tenure at Gucci – and likely even at Valentino – will undoubtedly be studied in future fashion books. He managed to pique the interest of outsiders in fashion dynamics by infusing clothes with ideals and narratives rather than merely glamorising them, as his successor tends to do.
In this article, we aim to revisit why Alessandro Michele has been and still is, more than ever with his comeback, a key figure in the system.
1. He is the proof that daring creative choices can pay off market-wise
Alessandro Michele was a bold choice for Gucci, completely changing the polished, early 2010s aesthetic established by Frida Giannini. While Giannini created commendable pieces, her style couldn’t keep up and now pales in comparison to Alessandro Michele’s vision.
In a brand where top-selling items revolve around bags and accessories, Michele managed to redirect attention back to garments. He saw them not merely as a means to convey his vision but as vessels for igniting our imagination. Once we experienced his approach, we couldn’t imagine Gucci without it. This explains the enduring success of Alessandro Michele’s creative direction, which has brought Kering revenues beyond their wildest expectations.
However, as these revenues began to decline gradually – albeit not to a degree that jeopardised the brand’s success – Michele was presented with the exit door. While Kering’s headquarters may have grown weary of his style, the majority of people remained captivated by his work. When Michele left Gucci, there was already a sense of nostalgia for what he had brought to the brand.
2. Alessandro Michele was able to bring multidisciplinarity to fashion like no one else before
Alessandro Michele has consistently embraced a multidisciplinary approach, which is evident even in his shows featuring strong performative elements to achieve a cohesive narrative effect. This approach reached its peak during Gucci Fest, broadcast on YouTube and the Gucci website for the first time in November 2020.
During the pandemic, when museums and cultural institutions were closed, Michele came up with a new format for a fashion brand: a Festival. Through various episodes, he not only showcased the brand’s ethos but also provided a platform for the key figures in his creative process. This included conversations with contemporary queer philosopher Paul Preciado and performances by Motus Edna artist Silvia Calderoni or Harry Styles in dialogue with Achille Bonito Oliva, among others.
Everyday moments, like waking up, visiting a thrift store or going to a coffee shop, were depicted with the silence and stillness that are characteristic of Michele’s vision for Gucci. Within these seemingly ordinary stories, deeper themes such as gender studies, sexuality, and self-acceptance were subtly intertwined, transforming what seemed like private moments into broader discussions.
In this way, Michele broke through the traditional boundaries of advertising, fostering genuine connections with the audience – not just customers – more authentically and poetically than could ever be achieved through a standard branded campaign.
3. In a country without a fashion museum, Alessandro Michele gave life to the Gucci Garden
Despite Italy’s global reputation for fashion excellence, the country often lacks proper cultural institutions to credit this creative industry. In response to this lack, Alessandro Michele has brought a museum of wonders to life: The Gucci Garden.
Since he departed from the brand, Gucci has undergone a recent restyling that has essentially turned it into a place designed for taking selfies, with every corner serving as a photo opportunity. During Alessandro Michele’s tenure, however, Gucci Garden was created as a space where the dreamlike spirit of Gucci could shine through wall decorations, ambient installations, and videos explaining the creative process and inspirations behind collections. While there was a glamorous, Instagram-friendly aspect to the meticulously curated setting, it was not the main focus as it appears to be now.
Michele’s passion for independent publishing and literature was also evident through the bookstore on the museum’s first floor, adding further value to the brand’s ethos and Michele’s persona. Although the bookstore is still present, it no longer holds the same importance as it once did. These elements were crucial in propelling the Florentine-born brand to its current international acclaim.
4. Vintage culture? Alessandro Michele was its father!
Alessandro Michele anticipated the rise of vintage culture long before its became popular during and after the pandemic. He incorporated his unique memories and imagination with the knowledge he gained from the pages of old books plucked from a seller in Rome into innovative designs. His collections had a nostalgic scent reminiscent of rifling through a grandmother’s closet, making people realise that items from the ’80s, like a floral dress, weren’t as outdated as they originally seemed.
Michele’s designs blended the ugly, the unusual, the unexpected, and the familiar, creating a universe that appeals to a wide range of markets, from rappers to bourgeois women and from fashionistas to suited men. His work demonstrates that designers don’t need to compromise their creativity for commercial success. His efforts paid off, as evidenced by Kering’s consistently rising revenue throughout his career.
One may argue that there wasn’t anything particularly revolutionary about bringing past fashion into the contemporary world, as it is a creative process that designers have always handled. Fashion has always drawn inspiration from the past, but never before has the past taken centre stage as in Michele’s collections. The rework he did for his collections somehow resembled Duchampian readymades: it was about the redefinition and reframing of garments most of the time, which was the most daring aspect.
The combination he brought to life was so authentic and genuine that even members of Gen-Z found themselves drawn to it, experiencing a sense of longing for eras they didn’t directly live through. The only way to experience it was through Michele’s creative vision: a hint of that generational nostalgia that characterises the younger generation.
