Alessandro Michele - Designer, Creative Director of Valentino

[TaylorBinque]

Well, this will be fun to watch. Can’t wait for another yet dramatic turn.

 

[Pricciao]

Did you not remember he took over the collection a week ago?
Let's pretend he did come up with more than 180 pieces in a week, isn't it an amazing talent?
Don't be a ridiculous reddit user to blame everything on him. And Charles Manson thing, are you a child? I'm quite mad about it.

 

[dodencebt]

I am asking this with genuine innocence, did Gucci say that Alessandro only had a couple days to put the men's collection together or are people just assuming this given the period between Frida's official departure and show date?

Critics reported that it was the official statement from within the house, but most of them aren't believing it.

 

[Marc10]

Really excited for this! This guy got my support, he has the attitude that Gucci is in need right now. The mens show step in the right direction. Hope that with everything settled now he can develop and push the brand to a new era.

 

[jeanclaude]

And Charles Manson thing, are you a child? I'm quite mad about it.

Hey, take it easy! He looks a lot like Charles Manson (just his look). I am not saying he is a psycho-killer...although a psycho-killer look could be a more interesting/fresh concept for a collection, than what he did for his first collection at Gucci...

 

[Norden]

Very interesting that they went through with this, considering his radical collection for the house.

I think its right for gucci to be a bit in bad taste. I mean that's what it is right? What Tom Ford did was bad taste, what Frida did was bad taste. Sometimes bad taste can be quite lovely and seductive. This is for me another version of bad taste.

I think in this short menswear collection he's shown a very different version of sex, which is in line with the house, which can be boiled down to sex, seduction, attraction and rather flat luxury. Of course the house has its subtleties, but the essence is mostly that. He has shown a different version of it.

also do people actually buy the pret a porter?

 

[squilliam]

Very interesting that they went through with this, considering his radical collection for the house.

I think its right for gucci to be a bit in bad taste. I mean that's what it is right? What Tom Ford did was bad taste, what Frida did was bad taste. Sometimes bad taste can be quite lovely and seductive. This is for me another version of bad taste.

I think in this short menswear collection he's shown a very different version of sex, which is in line with the house, which can be boiled down to sex, seduction, attraction and rather flat luxury. Of course the house has its subtleties, but the essence is mostly that. He has shown a different version of it.

also do people actually buy the pret a porter?

Well wasn't that the point? To get people to buy the clothes? The accessories sales aren't so bad but they want the clothes to sell, and that's why they fired frida. They're trying to make themselves relevant again

 

[littlekiki]

From Gucci's website:

Gucci and Kering are pleased to announce the appointment of Alessandro Michele as Gucci's new Creative Director with total creative responsibility for all of Gucci's collections and its brand image. Alessandro's first collection in his new role will be for Women’s ready-to-wear for Autumn/Winter 2015-16 to be presented on 25 February, in Milan.

Alessandro Michele, 42, studied at Accademia di Costume e di Moda in Rome and joined Fendi as Senior Accessories Designer. He moved to Gucci’s Design Office in 2002, assuming growing responsibilities within the Creative Department until he was promoted to the role of Associate to the Creative Director Frida Giannini in May 2011. In September 2014, he took on the additional responsibility as Creative Director of Richard Ginori, the renowned Italian fine porcelain brand that Gucci acquired in June 2013.

Commenting on the appointment, Marco Bizzarri, President and CEO of Gucci, said: “After a considered and thorough selection process, Alessandro Michele has been chosen to assume the role as Gucci Creative Director, based upon the contemporary vision he has articulated for the brand that he will now bring to life. Alessandro and I are fully aligned on this new contemporary vision needed by the brand and we will be continuously inspired by that new identity in our respective roles and duties.”

“Alessandro’s talent and his knowledge of the company and the design teams in place will for sure allow him to move quickly and seamlessly in implementing his new creative direction for the collections and the brand." continued Marco Bizzarri. “The Gucci Men's Autumn/Winter 2015-16 collection presented on 19 January, which was realized thanks to a remarkable collaboration between the men's design and production teams, is a clear indication that the brand is ready to take a new direction.”

François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering, stated: “Throughout its history, Gucci has always created attention and excitement through its innovative and distinctive products and collections as it has become Italy's most renowned fashion house and one of the most iconic and prominent luxury brands in the world. Alessandro Michele has both the qualities and the vision necessary to bring a new contemporary perspective to Gucci and lead the brand into an exciting new creative chapter of its history."

gucci.com

 

[rebel]

Kering’s reward for its efforts at Gucci will take time to emerge but Alessandro Michele has hit the ground running. He has rapidly taken responsibility for the brand’s fashion week shows and will be fully immersed in the Spring/Summer collections to be presented in September.

businessoffashion

 

[Nymphaea]

^So SS16 will be his first full collection? How about FW15.16?

 

[IsabelMarantBoy]

Well they did confirm that Fall/Winter 2015 was gonna be Frida's last womenswear show, I know the menswear show was scrapped but I don't think they did the same with women's.

 

[Nymphaea]

^Ah, thanks! Curious for the FW15.16 show and if Alessandro is there when Frida actually designed it.

 

[Nymphaea]

Everything We Know So Far About Gucci’s Fall 2015 Show

With new creative director Alessandro Michele at the helm, Gucci has a lot riding on tomorrow’s womenswear show. Michele’s Fall 2015 menswear collection, his first for the brand, was put together in just five days. It might be a harbinger of what’s to come for the 94-year-old house, or it might not—is five days of work really enough to judge? While many of the details of Michele’s showing tomorrow are under wraps, it’s still the debut of the season. We’ve compiled all the facts, from the change in the runway format to the models we can expect on the runway. Here’s everything you need to know before the lights go up on the catwalk tomorrow.

The Designer

Michele is largely a mystery to the fashion world, having risen through the ranks at the house over the past 12 years during both Tom Ford and Frida Giannni’s tenures. His background is in handbag design, having been the senior accessories designer at Fendi, where he worked with Giannini, before leaving Fendi and joining Gucci with her in 2002. By 2006, Michele was promoted to leather goods design director at Gucci, and promoted again in 2012 to associate director under Giannini. Michele has also served as the creative director of Richard Ginori 1735—a Florence-based porcelain brand purchased by Gucci in June 2013—since September 2014.

The Venue

Gucci will be presenting at the same venue as in previous seasons, Piazza Oberdan. There will be two big differences from Gucci catwalks past. First: There’s only one showing. In past seasons Gucci would present the collections in two back-to-back shows, making it possible for more buyers, press, and guests to see the show. The second change is the setup of the runway itself. Similar to the men’s showing in January—Michele’s first collection for the house—the runway will not be set up as a straight line. The space will instead be more of a room format, with the runway angling around sections of seated guests.

The Branding

Since Michele’s takeover, Gucci’s branding has undergone a slight change, most evident in its social media icons and the invites for its show. The house’s Facebook avatar is now a blush background with two intersecting G’s silhouetted in black—a dramatic difference from the gold G logo the brand had been using against different-colored backgrounds during Giannini’s helm. Invites to the Milan fashion week show are in line with this theme, with guests receiving pale pink paper invites with floral backing. Gucci shared its invite on its social channels in a bed of moody-hued silk flowers—perhaps a nod to the upcoming collection? The floral motif is a signature of the house that dates back to the ’60s, most recently getting a makeover under Giannini, who updated the pattern in 2004 and used it in her Resort 2015 collection.

The Guest List

Since there’s only one presentation, the guest list will reflect the change in spatial accommodations. As for the celebrity appearances, we’ve learned that there will be at least one star in attendance. Salma Hayek Pinault? Gucci face Blake Lively?

The Models

Longtime Gucci casting directors Barbara Nicoli and Leila Ananna will be casting the Fall 2015 show. The pair has already revealed one of the show’s models on their Instagram: a new face whose name they don’t divulge. But if her looks could talk, they’d say that her super-slender frame and long hair call to mind the opener of Michele’s debut gender-bending men’s show. One of Gucci’s go-to girls, Nadja Bender, also just landed in Milan for fashion week—we’d be surprised if she didn’t take a turn on Michele’s runway.

The Music

In keeping with previous seasons, Gucci’s runway will be soundtracked by Michel Gaubert.

The Press

Gucci is keeping mum about Michele’s womenswear debut, and the designer himself is following suit, granting a scarce number of interviews and declining to be recorded on video.

The Collection

If his men’s show is telling, Michele is looking to push the Gucci house into a more directional space. (New Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri said Michele’s appointment was “based upon the contemporary vision he has articulated for the brand that he will now bring to life.”) The trick will be marrying this buzzier approach with the commercial needs of a brand that is expected to grow its revenue beyond €3.49 billion (Gucci’s 2014 stat). Proposing masculin feminin pieces for men might not seem like a risky concept in this day and age, but Michele’s p*ssy-bow blouses and cropped jackets did raise a few eyebrows with retailers. Then again, he is a handbag designer through and through, and his accessories offering will likely be the deciding factor in his success. Things bode well for Michele in this arena, with Tom Ford telling The New York Times, “He was a great handbag designer when he worked with me.”

style/gucci

 

[YeohRocks]

I'm lowering my expectations immensely just so I don't have a breakdown later.

 

[HeatherAnne]

Dramaaaa!

At Gucci, a Messy Exit for One Designer Opens an Unlikely Door for Another:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/26/f...-opens-an-unlikely-door-for-another.html?_r=0

 

[TheoG]

Guess we can expect more of Michele strong point of view in about two months.

Gucci to Show Cruise Collection in New York

By Luisa Zargani

HEADING TO AMERICA: Gucci is coming to New York. The Italian brand is planning an event on June 4 to show its cruise collection under the new creative direction of Alessandro Michele. Details about the venue are still being mapped out. The last time Gucci held a cruise show in New York was in June 2006. Michele, who succeeded Frida Giannini in January, debuted his first women’s collection for the Florence-based label last month.

wwd.com/

 

[GivenchyHomme]

Based on how they've treated Tom Ford and Frida this guy is in for a long and stressful road if he lasts.

 

[vetements]

Based on how they've treated Tom Ford and Frida this guy is in for a long and stressful road if he lasts.

But given the fame and possibly economic gains, I am sure he wouldn't turn it down even if he witnessed it first hand. Gucci is simply too good a platform for anyone.
This guy has after all worked with both his predecessors.

 

[miguelalmeida]

Gucci Cruise 2016 is today in NY, I'll give Alessandro one more opportunity! Let's see what will he present today...

 

[Nymphaea]

^I'm curious too, hopefully something better than fall.