The New Era

The fashion world is abuzz with the news that Alessandro Michele will become the next creative director of Valentino, succeeding Pierpaolo Piccioli. This transition raises questions about how Michele's distinct, flamboyant style, developed during his tenure at Gucci, will mesh with Valentino's celebrated, refined minimalism.

Photo: Sinna Nasseri

How will Alessandro Michele's Valentino be?

Alessandro Michele has been one of the pioneers of the return of maximalism as a trend not only in fashion but also in popular culture. The question arises: how can this eclectic and decorative aesthetic find common ground with Valentino's style, which is much cleaner and more linear, sometimes almost minimalist? However, what many fail to understand is that it's not just about the taste of the individual creative director, in this case, Alessandro Michele, but the aesthetic embraced is also a product of the fashion house they work for. Gucci is a brand that aligns well with the maximalist aesthetic due to its association with luggage, logos, and equestrian motifs. Valentino lacks these aspects.

In such scenarios, there are various approaches one could take. One option might involve disregarding the brand's heritage, similar to what Demna is doing at Balenciaga. In such cases, the creative director brings their own style entirely to the brand, turning it into their personal vision. However, I doubt Alessandro Michele will pursue this path, given that Valentino's buyers are accustomed to a style that has become unmistakable over time. It's much more likely that Alessandro Michele, with his extraordinary creative abilities, will manage to adapt his style to that of Valentino. There will certainly be a lot of experimentation with volumes, shapes, and materials, but prints, colors, and accessories will remain clean. However, this won't be easy, as Michele has 20 years of experience at Gucci behind him, bringing along many visual and aesthetic codes that he has used over the years, which are part of Gucci but not Valentino. The creative aspect will therefore need to be profoundly reinterpreted to avoid seeing Gucci's codes in Valentino. Probably, the first collections will be experimental, but I'm confident that the new Valentino will positively surprise everyone. All we can do now is wait for the debut collection, which will be for Spring/Summer 2025 and wish Alessandro Michele good luck!

© Richard Grassie | Alessandro Michele in Gucci’s redecorated Milan headquarters