Just days after Pierpaolo Piccioli announced his departure, after 25 years as the fashion house’s creative director, the ex helmer of Gucci was tapped to take over the design of the brand.
In a thoughtful piece published in the NY Times, by the publication’s untiring fashion editor Vanessa Friedman, the writer questions the departure of three figures in the fashion world who not only represented unquestioning style but also humanity. “Of all the words used to describe Mr. Piccioli’s work — its “genius” and “magic” and “vision,” its “dreaminess” and “beauty” — the one that most stands out to me is ‘humanity’,” she points out.
The three designers announcing an exit, all within the last six months, include Piccioli, Dries Van Noten — who leaves his own namesake brand after 40 years in the business — and Sarah Burton, the designer of Alexander McQueen, who took over 13 years ago, “following the death of its founder and more than 20 after joining as an assistant to Mr. McQueen,” as Friedman points out.
“So what does it say, exactly, that three designers most known for their humanity are no longer in fashion?” Friedman asks. And it’s a play on words but also a deeper question facing our own existence. Humanity is no longer in fashion, it seems. Replaced by endless TikToks that make zero sense to rational minds and a stream of opinions masqueraded as news and influences. But also wars — “everywhere is war,” as our beloved Bob Marley famously sang. I didn’t use the word “revolution” in the title without thinking — we live in revolutionary times. And not all revolutions lead to better times, mind you.
Piccioli was a man unafraid to give credit where credit is due. He typically brought on the runway his seamstresses and staff, to thank the audience in attendance alongside him at the end of each show. Behind those dark Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses he sported all of the time, his eyes were kind and betrayed a vulnerability not often seen in the business world. To those lucky enough to have encountered him in person, as I was when I wrote about his collaboration with Luca Guadagnino on the film The Staggering Girl for The National’s luxury magazine, he gave off vibes of kindness and comprehension, qualities I’ve noticed slowly disappearing from our daily interactions.
Alessandro Michele on the other hand is the enfant terrible turned homme formidable who boasts the most extraordinarily beautiful home in Rome’s Palazzo Scapucci, which he shares with his partner Giovanni Attili and their dogs. The son of a left-wing man who believed in Lotta Continua, the 1970s political movement that fought to give housing to working families who couldn’t afford rent, Michele even grew up in a squatted home in the north of Rome as a teenager. In a 2023 British Vogue interview, talking about his idyllic apartment, he called himself “a doctor for injured, dilapidated homes.” He is also the savior of unfashionable fashion houses, as he quickly turned Gucci, a weirdly out of style former leather company, after the departure of its 80’s visionary Tom Ford, into a must-have, whimsical lifestyle brand during his nearly 8-year tenure there. Michele left Gucci, as speculation goes, when he was asked to share the duties of designing the various aspects of the maison with others.
Along the road, Michele’s path hasn’t been controversy free. In 2017, a claim was made that that Gucci had plagiarized the work of Central Saint Martins student Pierre-Louis Auvray. Around the same time, more claims were made, one by Harlem designer Dapper Dan, and one by two graphic designers from Australia and New Zealand, who claimed their brand logo designs were copied by Gucci for its Cruise 2018 collection.
Nothing of the sort has ever happened to Piccioli, who would have gladly delegated tasks — the designer famously collaborated with Maria Grazia Chiuri for 8 years as “co-creative director” before the latter left to head the House of Dior. He also would probably give credit where credit is due if he “borrowed” from the designs of a struggling, up and coming fashion student or a street brand from Harlem NYC. I mean, simple logics here, but perhaps as antiquated as a 1970’s Gucci handbag.
Yes because it seems, and here comes a personal aside, ethics are a thing of the past. In a small professional role I hold as press mentor for a world famous cinematic organization, I found out a colleague had put together a proposal to apply for my position. And when I saw him in person earlier this month, he feigned complete ignorance, like he’d never read the various press releases which feature my name. I never betrayed I knew, but he asked me what I was doing there and I told him. “Ah, OK,” he replied, acting like he’d never heard that before. Whenever I would talk to friends about this slight, their reply would be, chillingly, “yours is a very competitive field, it’s to be expected,” like bad behavior should go with the territory. Personally, and call me crazy here, I would never apply to write at the publication where this person works, out of respect, but I guess I’m outnumbered.
Last but not least, Valentino is a brand which seeks new customers and more revenue, as everyone in the fashion game does. It is owned by Valentino S.p.A. which has been controlled since 2012 by Mayhoola for Investments LLC, a Qatari fund. Rachid Mohamed Rachid is the prominent Egyptian born entrepreneur and investor who is currently Chairman of Valentino. So all in all, Michele brings a new outlook and a different vision for the Maison, which looks to the future and wishes to attract more of the up and coming new fashion buyers out there — whether from Asia or the MENA region. The fashion world is threading on an uncertain path at the moment, as fast fashion has taken over all our wishlists and brands like COS and Massimo Dutti, alongside tried and true Zara (boycotts aside) create more and more decently prized stylish collections.
Only the future will tell what becomes of the brand under its new creative director. And where Piccioli and his colleagues will resurface. Let’s just hope all turns out well in the land of beauty and style.
Top image courtesy of the Met Gala, used with permission.