Gucci confirms the departure of Alessandro Michele

MILAN – Gucci and parent company Kering announced on Wednesday evening that Alessandro Michele would leave the brand, giving up his role as creative director. This confirms a WWD report from Tuesday.

"I had the chance to meet Alessandro at the end of 2014, since then we have had the pleasure of working closely as Gucci has forged its successful path over the past eight years," Gucci Chairman and CEO Marco Bizzarri said in a statement. "I would like to thank him for his 20 years of commitment to Gucci and for his vision, dedication and unconditional love for this unique house during his tenure as Creative Director."

François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering, said: "Gucci's journey and Alessandro together over the past few years is unique and will remain as a defining moment in the history of the House. I am grateful to Alessandro for having brought so much of himself to this adventure. His passion, his imagination, his ingenuity and its culture puts Gucci front and center where it belongs. I wish it an excellent next chapter in its creative journey."

Michele, who was appointed head of creative in January 2015, said: "He There are times when paths diverge due to the different perspectives that each of us may have. Today marks the end for me of an extraordinary journey, spanning more than 20 years, within a company to which I have tirelessly devoted all my love and creative passion. During this long period, Gucci has been my home, my adopted family. To this extended family, to all the people who have cared for and supported it, I send my thanks most sincere, my biggest and most sincere embrace. With them I wished, dreamed, imagined. Without them, nothing I built would have been possible. To them goes my dearest wish: may you continue to nurture your dreams, that subtle, intangible matter that makes life worth living. Create poetic and inclusive images, while remaining true to your values. May you always live from your passions, propelled by the wind of freedom."

Now the question remains as to who could succeed Michele, who engineered the brand's turnaround with his unique style. Gucci, in the statement released late Wednesday evening, said the company's design office "will continue to drive the direction of the house forward until a new creative organization is announced."

A source wondered if Remo Macco, a Gucci veteran recently appointed as the studio's design director , could be present the wings. He was tasked with offering more commercial products to balance Michele's aesthetic.

"There has been a growing rift between the show team and the studio merchandising and commercial,” the source said, adding that Macco acted “as a filter between all the different category managers and Michele,” as Gucci increased the number of capsule collections and special editions.

Another potential candidate could be Davide Renne, also a Gucci veteran.

Another sign of a sharper focus on improving the topline and a shift can be seen in the appointment last spring of Maria Cristina Lomanto, former head of the Roger Vivier brand. She was named executive vice president, general manager of the brand, a new role for the Italian luxury company. Lomanto was tasked with...