A recent announcement made by Kering – the French-based multinational corporation of luxury goods – has left the fashion industry, quite frankly, a little lost for words: Alessandro Michele is stepping down from Gucci, effective immediately.
Michele, the creative director and orchestrator behind Gucci’s unequivocal popularity, joined the Italian fashion house in 2015. Kering, who also owns the brands Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen and Yves Saint Laurent, is yet to name Michele’s replacement.
Known for his decadent layering of brand signatures, streetwear-inspired merchandising and quirky, gender-fluid styling, Michele’s impact not only reignited excitement around the Milan-based headquarters, but also helped usher in a new, younger generation of consumers.
Marco Bizzarri, President and CEO of Gucci said: “I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet Alessandro at the end of 2014, since then we have had the pleasure to work closely together as Gucci has charted its successful path over these last eight years.”
Michele’s announcement comes just days after Raf Simons announced via Instagram that his label’s spring/summer 2023 collection will be his last, with his namesake label shutting its doors. A poignant signal that with an uncertain economy at large brands are grappling to keep momentum.
Prior to Kering’s announcement, WWD reported that a creative shakeup was imminent at Gucci. However, few could have predicted Michele’s exit would arrive so swiftly.
“There are times when paths part because of the different perspectives each one of us may have,” Michele shared on his Instagram. “Today an extraordinary journey ends for me, lasting more than twenty years, within a company to which I have tirelessly dedicated all my love and creative passion.”
In the statement, Kering’s Chairman and CEO François-Henri Pinault adds: “The road that Gucci and Alessandro walked together over the past years is unique and will remain as an outstanding moment in the history of the House. I am grateful to Alessandro for bringing so much of himself in this adventure”
While Michele’s mark over the past two decades cannot be measured (countless custom red carpet looks, star-studded collaborations, ravishing runways, launch parties, and iconic campaigns flood to memory) we have rounded up some of our most memorable Alessandro Michele moments below.
