The rumours are true: Alessandro Michele replaces Pierpaolo Piccioli at Valentino

Gucci's former Creative Director Alessandro Michele, known for his more is more aesthetic, is taking the helm at Valentino.

Michele was credited with reviving the Kering flagship brand's fortunes during his seven-year tenure at the helm of Gucci. He was a little-known Gucci insider when he was appointed to the role of Creative Director in 2014, later exiting in November 2022.

The designer will be reinstated as a Creative Director at the Rome-based house on Tuesday, according to an internal statement. In this role, he is set to design couture for the first time.

We anticipate the maximalist's first show for the classical Maison Valentino, which will show during the Spring Summer 2025 season. In the meantime, Valentino wiped its fashion show schedule clean, confirming that it will no longer present at Paris Men's Fashion Week and Haute Couture Week.

Harry Styles in Gucci by Alessandro Michele. Image: V&A

Last Friday, Pierpaolo Piccioli, who put Valentino Pink on the map, announced that he was parting ways with the storied Italian house after 25 years.

In a statement Michele shared today, he said: "It’s an incredible honour... I feel the immense joy and the huge responsibility to join a Maison de Couture that has the word ‘beauty’ carved on a collective story made of distinctive elegance, refinement, and extreme grace.

"My first thought goes to this story: to the richness of its cultural and symbolic heritage, to the sense of wonder it constantly generates, to the very precious identity given with their wildest love by founding fathers, Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti. These references always represented an essential source of inspiration for me, and I’m going to praise such influence through my own interpretation and creative vision."

Jacopo Venturini, Valentino’s CEO,  said:  "I am very happy and excited to return to work with Alessandro." This marks a rekindling of the pair after previously working together at Gucci, where Venturini was VP of merchandising and global markets.

He continued: "I am certain that the reinterpretation of the Maison's couture codes and the heritage created by Mr Valentino Garavani, combined with Alessandro’s extraordinary vision, will bring us moments of great emotion and will translate into irresistibly desirable objects."