Former Gucci designer Alessandro Michele named Valentino creative director

Alessandro Michele, the flamboyant former designer at Gucci, has been named the new creative director at storied Roman luxury house Valentino.

The appointment of Mr Michele follows the sudden departure of Pierpaolo Piccioli last week after 25 years.

Valentino, which stages collections in Paris, confirmed the move in a statement on Thursday, calling it the “start of a new journey aimed at continuing to see the brand’s unique values, its heritage and its couture codes shine around the world”.

“In his new role, Alessandro Michele will be based in Rome, the creative heart of our house, the city where it was founded in 1960,” the statement said.

Mr Michele, 51, left Gucci in 2022, after a widely popular creative tenure.

In a social media post, Mr Michele said it was “a great honor (to be) entering a Maison de Couture that has engraved the word ‘beauty’ in a collective story made of research and extreme grace”.

Founded in Rome in 1960 by Valentino Garavani, the Valentino company is an internationally recognised Italian luxury house, with stores in more than 25 countries.

Mr Michele’s debut collection will be unveiled at Paris Fashion Week in September, according to current plans.