Alessandro Michele potential forerunner to become Gucci’s new creative director

Alessandro Michele, head accessories designer at Gucci has been tagged as a
potential successor for Frida Giannini, former creative director at
the Florentine fashion house, a month after it was announced that Giannini
would be stepping down from her role alongside with her real-life partner
and former chief executive, Patrizio di Marco.

According to sources at WWD, Michele, who has worked side by side with
Giannini in the past, has been listed among the candidates who have been
shortlisted to fill the role. Other possible successors to Giannini include
Joseph Altuzarra, Riccardo Tisci and Maria Grazia Chiuri. Michele first
joined the luxury label’s design team back in 2002, before being named
associate to Giannini in 2011, directly overseeing Gucci’s leather goods,
footwear, jewelry and homeware divisions.

Pressure is on for the luxury fashion house to fill the creative role
following news that its former creative director left her
role earlier than anticipated. Internal sources state that Giannini left
the label a week ago, after the new CEO, Marco Bizzarri took over the helm
from di Marco. The former creative head is said to have been asked to leave
her role at Gucci on Friday, when her contract was terminated almost a
month in advance.

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The fashion house confirmed to British Vogue this afternoon that Giannini is “no longer in her role as creative director.”
Although Gucci denied to explain the sudden move, Bizzarri thanks the former creative director for all her work over the past years.
“I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the outstanding contribution that Frida Giannini has made to Gucci’s legacy during
her nine year tenure as creative director.”

Giannini was scheduled to exit Gucci following her autumn/winter ’15 show
in Milan, on February 25. She was also slated to showcase her final men’s
wear show for the luxury brand on January 19. Market sources state that
Gucci terminated Giannini’s contract ahead of schedule to speed up
decisions concerning the label’s future creative direction. “The decision
[about Giannini’s successor] needs to be made, so that it can have an
impact on the upcoming collections and shows,” said one source to WWD.