Six days after ending the quarter century career of Pierpaolo Piccioli at Valentino, the Rome-based house has named ex-Gucci designer Alessandro Michele to be its new creative director.

“It is a great honor for me to be welcomed into the Valentino Maison. I feel the immense joy and responsibility of joining a Maison de Couture that has engraved the word ‘beauty’ in a collective history of refinement and extreme grace,” said Michele in an Instagram post.
 
As was announced, Valentino will not stage any show in either the menswear season or the couture season in June. So, Michele’s first show will be presented in Paris in September, during the Spring/Summer 2025 collections runway season.

In effect, the move reunites Michele with Jacopo Venturini, the CEO of Valentino, who previously was the senior executive at Gucci in charge of international merchandising. Where he was considered a key reason for Michele’s remarkable run at Gucci, where the designer almost tripled annual sales in seven years.
 
Somewhat ironically, the appointment also reconnects Michele with Kering, the giant French luxury corporation that controls Gucci, and which fired him in 2022. Kering owns a 30% stake in Valentino, which has been controlled by Mayhoola, an investment arm of the Qatari royal family for the past 12 years.

François-Henri Pinault, Chairman & CEO of Kering, commented: “I am very happy that Alessandro has been appointed at the creative helm of Valentino and I am certain that with his creativity, culture and versatile talent, he will be able to interpret masterfully the unique heritage of this magnificent House and make it flourish. I can’t wait to see his passion, imagination and dedication at play in this new chapter for Valentino.”
 
While Michele, who was known as one of fashion’s greatest showmen during his dramatic tenure at Gucci, continued his Instagram post, adding: “My first thoughts go to this story: to the richness of its cultural and symbolic heritage, to the sense of wonder that it has constantly generated, to the invaluable identity that its founding fathers, Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti, gave it with unbridled love. These are references that have always been an indispensable source of inspiration for me and to which I intend to pay homage by reinterpreting them through my own creative vision.”
 
“Nor can I not but sincerely thank Rachid Mohamed Rachid for having offered me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. His trust is a gift of the soul that I will try to honour with my work and my most complete dedication,” added Michele, referring to Valentino’s chairman.  
 
In an official release, Chairman Valentino Rachid Mohamed Rachid, enthused: “The appointment of Alessandro Michele marks another pivotal moment for Maison Valentino. Michele is an exceptional talent and his appointment underlines our great ambitions for Maison Valentino. I strongly believe that with his unique creativity and sensibility, he will continue the elevation of the brand’s everlasting heritage and unique Italian Maison de Couture identity. With Alessandro Michele a new page of excellence and endless beauty is ready to be written in the history of Valentino.”
 
“For the last twelve years, as a team, we dedicated our time and resources to develop the Maison Valentino brand and business to become a world class couture house built on the unique heritage and creativity of Mr. Valentino Garavani, representing the best of elegance and beauty. We have been able to grow it in reputation and size over five folds, while gaining the loyalty and appreciation of our clients,” stressed the Egyptian-born Rachid.
 
Mayhoola acquired Valentino back in 2012 for a reported €700 million, beating off competition from LVMH, Kering, Zegna and even Diesel.
 

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His new position also means that Rome-born and based Michele will be able to stroll across the historic center of The Eternal City from his home near the Vatican to reach Valentino’s headquarters. These are located right next door to the Spanish Steps, one of the city’s most famous historic sites.
 
“My thanks, immense and boundless, to Jacopo Venturini. Working with him again is a wonderful dream come true for me. Jacopo is not only an extraordinary professional, able to combine pragmatism and strategic skills, expertise and sensitivity. Above all, he is a man capable of celebrating the daily love of life, with his passions and caring skills,” continued the 51-year-old Michele.
 
Added Venturini: “I am very happy and excited to return to work with Alessandro Michele after years of working together. His talent, creativity, and profound intelligence, always linked to a wonderful lightness, will write another chapter of Maison Valentino. 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.”  
 
The house of Valentino was founded in 1960 by Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti, going on to become known as arguably the most important couture house for evening wear showing in Paris couture seasons.
 
“Today I am searching for the most appropriate words to say joy, to pay homage to it: the smiles that kick up in the chest, the sense of profound gratitude that lights up the eyes, that precious moment when need and beauty reach out to each other. Joy, however, is such a living thing that I fear I will hurt her by saying it,” added Ale, as the designer is known.
 
“So, let my bowing with arms wide open be enough to celebrate, in this early spring, life regenerating itself and the promise of new blossoms,” concluded Michele.