Alessandro Michele
Alessandro Michele (Italian pronunciation: [miˈkɛːle]; born 25 November 1972) is an Italian fashion designer and creative director of Valentino.[1] He grew to international recognition as the creative director of Gucci, the Italian fashion luxury house where he worked from 2002 to 2022.[2] Known for his maximalist designs, Alessandro Michele revived Gucci's popularity, most notably with a Geek-Chic aesthetic. He had been responsible for all of Gucci's collections and global brand image[3] from January 2015 until he stepped down from the role in November 2022. [4]
Alessandro Michele
25 November 1972
Fashion designer
1994–present
Creative director of Valentino
Giovanni Attili
Biography[edit]
Early life[edit]
Alessandro Michele grew up in Rome. His father was an Alitalia technician, and his mother an assistant to a movie executive.[5][6]
In the early 1990s, Alessandro Michele completed his studies of fashion design at the Accademia di Costume e di Moda in Rome, where he learned to design both theatrical costumes and fashion wear.[7]
Work[edit]
Alessandro Michele's father was also an avid artist who often took his son out to the museums. His family encouraged his interest in fashion at an early age. As a teenager, he read British magazines and was a fan of London's post-punk and New Romantic street style.[5][6] His designs have been described as eclectic, flamboyant and maximalist, almost psychedelic, and drawn from several influences that span from cinema and theatrics to post-punk, crochet and glamour.[34][35]
Alessandro Michele refers to himself as an art archaeologist - historicist of garments - rather than a creative director, considering that clothes are meaningless without a historic context.[27] In his fashion Renaissance process, he explores how adornment and embellishment was used over the centuries, bringing a kaleidoscopic mix of times and cultures that resonates with Gilles Deleuze's idea of "assemblage".[36]