Alessandro Michele

Alessandro Michele ([miˈkɛːle]; born 25 November 1972 in Rome) is an Italian fashion designerappointed creative director of Gucci in January 2015. He is responsible for all of Gucci's collections and global brand image.

Born in Rome Italy in 1972, Alessandro studied at the Accademia di Costume e di Moda in Rome.

Michele forged his early design career at Fendi where he was Senior Accessories Designer. He was tapped by Tom Ford in 2002 and moved to Gucci's London-based design office. Over his 12-year tenure within the Gucci design studio, Alessandro held a variety of roles: in 2006 he was named Leather Goods Design Director and promoted in May 2011 as Associate to then Creative Director Frida Giannini.

In September 2014, he took on the additional role of Creative Director of Richard Ginori—the fine Florentine porcelain brand acquired by Gucci in June 2013. He began in his position as leader of product offering and branding of Gucci, re-positioning it for the luxury market with new collections and a new store design template.

During the Gucci Men's Fall/Winter 2015-16 runway show, Alessandro Michele introduced a « new Gucci: nonconformist, romantic, intellectual ». His full vision for Gucci was on display during the Women's Fall/Winter 2015-16 runway show where he presented a « sophisticated, intellectual and androgynous feel » for Gucci. He reintroduced Gucci classics like the double-G logo and moved away from Tom Ford's "Sexy Gucci" props.

In 2017, Michele was listed as one of Hypebeast's HB100, an honor bestowed to the top 100 most influential people in the industry.

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.

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".

Alessandro Michele believes that fashion helps individuals storify their existence. He pictures fashion shows as « a procession of epiphanies and expanded thoughts that settle into a different partition of the sensible ».

• 2016 International Fashion Designer Of The Year Award at the British Fashion Awards
• 2016 CFDA International Award