Alessandro Michele
Creative director of Valentino
Alessandro Michele is an Italian designer who has been creative director of Valentino since April 2024. He is best known for his period as creative director of Gucci from 2015 to 2022, when his maximalist, vintage inspired style helped transform the brand into one of the strongest performers in luxury.
| Role | Creative director of Valentino |
|---|---|
| Since | April 2024 |
| Previous role | Creative director of Gucci (2015 to 2022) |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Born | 1972 |
| Known for | Maximalist, gender fluid luxury design |
Who is Alessandro Michele?
Alessandro Michele is an Italian fashion designer born in Rome in 1972. Valentino announced him as creative director on 28 March 2024, with effect from 2 April 2024, succeeding Pierpaolo Piccioli. His first Valentino collection was shown at Paris Fashion Week in September 2024 for spring and summer 2025. At Valentino he was reunited with chief executive Jacopo Venturini, with whom he had worked at Gucci; Venturini stepped down in August 2025 and was succeeded on 1 September 2025 by Riccardo Bellini.
Career
Michele started in 1994 at the knitwear company Les Copains in Bologna. From 1997 to 2002 he worked at Fendi, where he became a senior accessories designer. In 2002 he joined Gucci as a handbag designer under Tom Ford and spent the next two decades there in a series of design roles.
In January 2015 he was promoted to creative director of Gucci. His collections mixed historical references, eccentric prints and androgynous tailoring, and products such as the Dionysus bag became commercial hits. He left Gucci in late 2022.
- 1997 to 2002: Fendi, accessories
- 2002 to 2014: Gucci, accessories and design roles
- 2015 to 2022: creative director of Gucci
- Since April 2024: creative director of Valentino
Influence on the fashion business
Michele's Gucci tenure is one of the most cited examples of a creative director driving a turnaround. Working with then chief executive Marco Bizzarri, he gave the brand a distinctive, highly recognisable language that resonated with younger consumers, and Gucci became the largest contributor to Kering's revenues during his years. The later slowdown at Gucci also became a reference point for how strongly a luxury brand's performance can depend on a single aesthetic cycle.
His appointment at Valentino followed Kering's 2023 purchase of a 30 percent stake in the house for 1.7 billion euros, with an option to take full ownership by 2028. The reunion with Venturini lasted until August 2025, and Michele now works with chief executive Riccardo Bellini, formerly head of Valentino's main shareholder Mayhoola, as the house seeks commercial sustainability under his creative direction.
Why it matters
Michele demonstrated that a strong, consistent creative identity can reshape a brand's customer base within a few seasons, and that inclusive, gender fluid design can work at scale in luxury. For merchants and wholesale partners, his career is a reminder that creative changes affect assortment depth, price points and storytelling, and that brands now expect partners to carry a coherent narrative rather than isolated products.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Alessandro Michele?
Alessandro Michele is an Italian designer and, since April 2024, creative director of Valentino. He was previously creative director of Gucci from 2015 to 2022.
What is Alessandro Michele known for?
He is known for reshaping Gucci with a maximalist, vintage inspired and gender fluid aesthetic that drove strong growth for the brand. Products such as the Dionysus bag became signatures of his era.