Alessandro Michele Rumored To Be Negotiating a Contract With Valentino

Just days after Pierpaolo Piccioli announced he will be steppind down as Valentino‘s creative director after 25 years, the rumor mill has already been buzzing about who will be succeeding him. Now, WWD has reported of rumors that former Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele is to be in the thick of talks to succeed Piccioli. Rumors have noted that Michele is currently negotiating a contract with Valentino to be its next creative director.

Sources have pinpointed that Rachid Mohamed Rachid, chief executive officer of Valentino parent Mayhoola, wanted Michele to be the creative director of Walter Albini, however, nothing came of the deal. Another source told WWD, “This time around, the Valentino project would be much more interesting for Michele, as it would also allow him to design couture collections, and it is no secret that he needs a well-oiled machine behind him to support his research and creativity, with skilled designers and artisans, the best fabrics and big pockets to turn his ideas into reality. Also, Valentino is not as huge in terms of sales as Gucci, so the pressure is different, and, on the contrary, there is strong growth potential”

Industry insiders have also noted that Valentino’s CEO Jacopo Venturini and Michele have had a long-standing relationship, “They worked well together, of course they may have had some disagreements — creativity versus business demands — but it was a good relationship.” Being that Michele’s non-compete expires in a month, the possibility of going to Valentino is very real. Neither parties have confirmed so far. Stay tuned for more information.