It’s undeniable to say the least that Alessandro Michele, Roman designer and former Creative Director of Kering luxury fashion group Gucci, had single handedly redefined the aesthetic of the brand. After joining Gucci in 2002, under Tom Ford, and his surprising departure in Fall of 2022, many fans and fashion finatics around the world were devastated. Michele was known to achieve something that many designers have a hard time achieving; He was able to redefine what society found relevant. “When I started to work at Gucci, I tried literally to destroy everything.” Michele was aware of how radical his ideas were for Gucci, “My Idea for Gucci was crazy, but that’s the only idea I had. I was sure I’d be fired after the show.”

GU532_FW17 CAMPAIGN_SP Crops_Square14_300dpi.jpg

In true Italian form, he utilized maximalism, provoked millennials, instilled a bucolic image, while still maintaining a premium brand. He would gravitate towards concepts and ideas that to many were deemed outdated or bizarre, and instantly make it the most desirable attire on the market. He would borrow themes such as the elevated nerd, Sci-fi inspired editorials, and his love for anything eccentric. He was even one of the first designers to acknowledge the taboo of fast fashion, and reduced his runway shows from 5 going down to 2 per year. Especially during times of COVID-19 and massive shifts were happening in the consumer brand demographics, Gucci was one of the brands that generated the most revenue alone. Now as Fashion Week quickly approaches, still no successor has been announced for the brand. It will be the responsibility of the in-house team to introduce us to the new possible era of Gucci.

Alessandro’s reconstruction of Gucci is one that is to be recognized. Many times brands do appoint new Creative Directors. At times some can be rather underwhelming, others tend to stick with the brands’ DNA, and some completely rebrand the fashion house entirely. Michele made it his personal goal to take the Italian fashion house by storm. And while doing so, kept many on the edges of their seats. As many are sad to see the departure of Alessandro Michele, many are also hopeful for the future of the brand. With a strong brand identity, relevancy, and ample supply chain. Many are excited to see who will continue to challenge the world of fashion just as Michele did.

Works Cited:

“Alessandro Michele Quotes.” BrainyQuote, Xplore, http://www.brainyquote.com/authors/alessandro-michele-quotes.

Grobe, Words By Max GrobeAssociate Fashion Editor. “Essential Things to Know about Alessandro Michele.” Highsnobiety, 28 Nov. 2022, http://www.highsnobiety.com/p/alessandro-michele-gucci/.

Zargani, Louisa. “What to Watch: The Future of Gucci.” WWD, 30 Dec. 2022, http://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/the-future-of-gucci-1235457009/.