In fashion, we always expect everything to be unique and never seen before. But how can it be unique if brands are exchanging creative directors as if they were pawns on a chessboard? They are not just robots set to be successful. They are human beings with interests and peculiar visions. And each one comes with a predefined set of skills and creeds.

Valentino Resort 2025, Avants les Débuts, courtesy of Valentino

Name Gucci to any living human being on Earth, and they will know. It’s about the status, elegance, power, and glamour that get people talking. There are a few fashion houses as instantly recognizable as Gucci. In fact, what we need is just that first “g,” and we already know. Nine people out of ten, when asked to briefly describe the history of the brand, would quote only two names: Tom Ford and Alessandro Michele.

Not because the other life cycles are not worth mentioning, but simply because what these two have done for the success of the house, and for the entire fashion world, has no precedent. The relevance they held in society matched with extraordinarily new stylistic choices have concurred to create an out-and-out revolution phase in the clothing industry.

In 1994, Tom Ford was appointed as creative director. Under his guidance, Gucci underwent a transformation that saved the brand from the precipice. A style made of sleek modernity, inspired by a provocative sense of sexiness, catapulted Gucci into a land of success and prosperity. Nearly 20 years later—following Frida Giannini’s unnoticed reign—the label brought another name to the house, hoping to overcome a period that did not shine with celestial light. In fact, the Roman designer Alessandro Michele was not only tasked with the tough challenge of resurrecting Gucci’s sales but also pivoting to younger customers while still maintaining the brand’s legacy as a luxury brand.

Alessandro Michele - Gucci.

If someone asked you to guess what was in common between gender fluidity, bucolic imagery, eccentricity, and maximalism, the answer would be too simple: Alessandro Michele. In fact, Gucci was in desperate need of a fresh touch of novelty in order to tap into a different audience that was younger, freer, and looking to figure out their own identity. And Michele was the perfect man to get there.

Since his debut in 2015 for the men’s section, it was clear beyond any doubt what Gucci was going to mean. From silky bow blouses, loafers paired with luxurious furs, and groovy patterned suiting, Michele set the foundations for a Gucci that smelled of gender fluidity and eccentric maximalism.

He established a totally new set of codes and symbols, making the brand instantly recognizable. It could’ve been the trio of blue/red/blue and green/red/green stripes—or the fauna made of animals such as wolves, tigers, and lions.

Witnessing Michele’s reign was almost like browsing around in a Renaissance museum where the overwhelming abundance of antiques and delicate pieces turned out to be beautifully and chaotically organized. As stated by the designer, every single collection had roots in the past. Shortly after being appointed by Gucci, he released an interview to Vogue saying that he wasn’t interested in the future—as it didn’t exist yet—but that instead, he was interested in the past and the contemporary.

Alessandro Michele was the physical embodiment of Gucci. This is one of those cases where the designer literally became the brand—and this could potentially bring a few headaches to Sabato De Sarno (current Gucci’s creative director). By the way, this became a subject of sour criticism unleashed to his regards, questioning the true value of the brand alone without Michele around. But as this is not the point of this piece, let’s jump back to what matters.

One of the reasons why his staying at the house was so successful was connected to the fact that the values of Gucci already ran through his veins, way before he was appointed as creative director. To many, Michele looked like a very refined and stylish Jesus, with a personal style made of an appealing mixture of features. From elegant and antique rings stacked on others to floral-patterned clothes, the Roman designer represented the obvious choice for the Italian brand.

But personal style aside, not only did he re-modernize a brand that was at the edge of a cliff, but he managed to create a story so believable—like almost in a fairy tale—that everyone wanted to be part of it. Everything became so powerful that it wasn’t about supporting the brand anymore—simply because Gucci wasn’t only a clothing label. It became Michele’s creed. Those three stripes turned out to be a clear sign of representation for all those who resonated with the brand’s vision: freedom, carefreeness, and the beauty of imperfections.

Then, if we have to be truly honest, another piece of the puzzle played a major role in shaping the success Gucci had during those years. The uncontrollable celebrity endorsement Michele received from figures like Jared Leto, Harry Styles, and Dakota Johnson, catapulted the brand into another dimension, playing a different game than the rest. What’s important to underline though, is the true nature of the relationships made between Michele and the circle of Hollywood stars. They didn’t match because of fame or for mere publicity moves. What captivated the entire digital audience was the purity and innocence of those bonds—which made everything Gucci even more desirable to wear.

Dakota Johnson and Alessandro Michele spotted in Rome, *JustJared*

But, unfortunately for fashion, the majority of things are headed towards an end. No one knows when that moment is coming. Neither how. Some things are just out of our control and totally unpredictable by definition.

In this matter, I guess it came as a shock for everyone the morning of the 23rd of November 2022 when we all woke up and saw the news: “Alessandro Michele is leaving Gucci after a seven-year run.”

The fashion world froze. Our eyes staring at the TV. Our impossibility to move or say anything. All of a sudden, we realized an era had just ended. After 7 years of novelty, success, money, and recognition, Gucci and Michele finally said goodbye to each other. No one will ever know the true nature of the reasons that led to this event. Some said that, after such a long time, the eccentric style brought by Michele was starting to bore people. It became “usual” for Gucci to be perceived like that—and we all know that a brand like Gucci needs to be different from the rest. Others said sales were starting to fall. Fact is, that we’ll never get to the bottom of this story.

Alessandro Michele - Valentino.

After his departure from Gucci, we all wondered: “What is he going to do?” Bets were placed on the next brand he would’ve landed at. As the major star in the free-agency list, every brand must’ve thought—at least once—about the possibility of having such a personality in their own house. With Jeremy Scott leaving Moschino, some saw the Roman designer as a potential new leading figure. Others talked about Lanvin, Chanel, and Givenchy. In the mixture of all this gossip, the 28th of March 2024 cleared the air once and for all. Alessandro Michele became the new creative director of Valentino. The rumors were finally put back to sleep, and a new era was about to rise.

After a massive empire built in the course of seven years, what would you expect from the master of it? Success, success, and again, success. When you enter the land of the Greats, that’s what you’re supposed to do. No one could imagine the amount of pressure put on Michele’s shoulders, being placed as the lead of another major Italian brand like Valentino. But the biggest challenge wasn’t replicating the financial heaven achieved at Gucci. The greatest dilemma he was set to face was: how to merge the necessity, history, and heritage of such an iconic label with his explosive personality and vision of fashion? Even though the debut show was scheduled for Paris Fashion Week in September, presenting Valentino's spring-summer 2025 ready-to-wear collection, la Maison decided to give the world a sample to ease the hunger. In the early morning of the 17th of June 2024, fashion followers awoke to a surprise Resort collection drop from the brand’s new creative director.

Despite such a short time spent in-house researching styles and getting to know the history of the brand, Alessandro Michele has been able to deliver a fully meticulous collection flaunting 171 styles captured in over 200 pictures.

Wideness aside, what was impressive about the vision of the designer—witnessed as well during his time at Gucci—was the incredible amount of details composing every single outfit. The layering, the precise selection of accessories, and the wide range of handbags (from classic silhouettes to belt bags) matched with a wide range when it comes to footwear, convey altogether a feeling of great attention and respect to his own style and Valentino’s historical one.

Throughout the 171 styles, we’ve had the chance to see the Alessandro Michele we’ve always known. As opposed to the sleek and monochromatic stylistic phase spearheaded by Piccioli, the new face of Valentino brings a different approach characterized by Michele’s maximalism and eccentricity. It shouldn’t come as a surprise then, the emerging look of the traditional ladylike elegance, that characterized as well the last phase of Gucci. Featuring a wide range of elements, shifting from luxurious fur-trimmed outerwear and dainty footwear to gold-chain handbags and sumptuous gloves, the result erupts into the conception of a Roman excessive chicness.

Using Valentino’s archives as the primary source of inspiration, the new designer has brought back a precise cycle of the brand’s history that dates back to the 1960s and 1970s. By taking a sneak peek at some of the most iconic looks shown by Valentino during those years, it appears obvious the revival of the vintage glamour of that time made of large coats with fur trim, patterned suits, formal sets, and an overwhelming abundance of pearls.

Valentino’s archives 1960s, *Nick Machalaba/WWD*

We know Alessandro Michele and what he’s capable of. We know his obsession/passion for history and the past. We know very well the sense of opulence he tried and he’s trying to bring back to life now. And let’s not forget about his mission of creating paths led by an appreciation and respect for beauty in all its forms.

Now, I’m sure that we’ve all thought the same thing now. This doesn’t stray too far from his work at Gucci and it doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.

As we recall, this is not the first time Michele meticulously works with a specific use of the brand’s signatures. As we’ve seen already in Gucci, he seems to be inclined toward using the same strategy in Valentino as well. The V logo becomes a distinctive feature of the entire collection, caught in pretty much every single outfit (on the leather bags, as an adornment on belts, or simply as a pattern).

The second thing, and probably the most obvious one, is with no doubt the maximalist use of accessories. For those who know a bit of his history and his time at Gucci, we perfectly know the importance that this particular section of products played in shaping a mere financial empire. From belts and rings to scarves and bracelets, the typical Alessandro Michele’s outfit passed through a chaotic yet precise arrangement of elements on models’ bodies. That’s why it doesn’t seem to be particularly difficult to spot the same cues leading to the conclusion that wherever Michele goes, the excess comes as well—as a sort of package. For the joy of those who are huge Michele’s fans, this is a breath of fresh air, getting to witness once again his entrance into the universe of mixed patterns, adornment, and whimsy. Unfortunately, when someone is at the top, critics are integral parts of the job. It’s not all roses and flowers. The maturity to be displayed in these cases lies in the ability to be able to digest and absorb negative comments—sometimes not even motivated. This is what happened as soon as the collection touched the digital surface. What do you expect people to say while scrolling down through the lookbook and perceiving a somehow similar style that they have already seen? Well, all these comments together gave rise to the birth of the so-called “Vucci”—meaning that if we took the V off the clothes and replaced it with a GG, nobody would notice a thing. But, honestly, is this fair?

First of all, is it correct to judge a book just by the cover? This is the first of a long series of collections that ultimately will reveal how relevant Michele’s Valentino will be in the fashion industry. Until then, it would be quite premature to even open the mouth and spread comments in the air. The second point I think needs to be made here is about the figure of the designer himself. As we said before, Michele is not the typical creative director. He’s the one who, at the time of Gucci, really represented the physical impersonification of the brand. This meant that the label and his character ended up being the same thing, causing people to associate the GG with the name Michele.

For a personality of this caliber, the story won’t change regardless of the place he will be at. When you decide to bring someone like him on board, you already know what you’re paying for. You’re not just hiring somebody to do the job and lead the brand, showcasing revolutionary designs that will make people dream. That is true, but at least in this case, it wouldn’t be enough. The work that a character like Alessandro Michele will do for you will be creating an association between the brand and his persona. Building a story over the story. Simply because that’s what he does best: leading a team of fans and workers toward the conception of a bigger community, day by day. Therefore, it shouldn’t be a shock to witness the same features that have characterized his previous work at Gucci. Those are the distinctive traits of his vision. The main skills that make him who he is. Taking the eccentricity and maximalism off his collections would mean uprooting the heart of his work. If we really zoom in for a second, we’d see that the Resort collection shows both the artist and the brand. It’s evident the influence of his own interests (past, opulence, excess, etc.) as well as the rooting of the collection in the brand’s history. What Michele has done was simply selecting, out of the numerous life cycles of Valentino, the one that created the brightest sparkle in his curious eyes.

From Gucci to Vucci

Chappell Roan

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