MILAN – Italian fashion house Valentino has named Gucci’s former star designer Alessandro Michele as its new creative director.

Michele, who oversaw Gucci’s creations for eight years until November 2022, is replacing Pierpaolo Piccioli, whose departure was announced last week. He will start his new role on April 2 and will be based in Rome, the Milan-based company said in a statement on March 28.

The 51-year-old’s appointment at Valentino comes as something of a surprise.

Gucci owner Kering parted ways with the designer after sales of the label did not keep up with the performance of some of its biggest rivals such as Louis Vuitton and Hermes.

In 2023, Qatar’s Mayhoola sold a 30 per cent stake in Valentino to Kering, with an option for the French company to buy the rest by 2028.

Kering chief executive Francois-Henri Pinault welcomed Michele’s arrival.

“I am certain that with his creativity, culture and versatile talent, he will be able to interpret masterfully the unique heritage of this magnificent house and make it flourish,” Mr Pinault said in a statement.

The links between Valentino and Gucci are not new.

In 2023, Kering named former Valentino fashion director Sabato De Sarno as Gucci’s new designer.

Mr Jacopo Venturini, chief executive of Valentino, used to be head of merchandising at Gucci during Michele’s time there.

Michele’s fashions at Gucci became recognisable for their flamboyant and bohemian-chic designs. Under his direction, Gucci also collaborated with other brands, notably Adidas and North Face as well as Balenciaga, another Kering brand.

Valentino, whose red-carpet designs have been worn recently by stars including American actress Zendaya and English actress Florence Pugh, was founded in Italy in 1960 by Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani and Italian businessman Giancarlo Giammetti.

In 1968, former United States first lady Jackie Kennedy famously wore an ivory lace Valentino dress when she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. Valentino was acquired by Mayhoola more than a decade ago.

Piccioli’s recent Valentino collections have created buzz for their elegance and single-coloured focus. Two years ago, the label unveiled an autumn and winter collection where all the pieces were bright pink.

During the Paris Fashion Week show in March, Piccioli unveiled more than 60 looks with models donning only black pieces, with variations between embroidered and sheer lace dresses.

The brand reported revenue of €1.4 billion (S$2 billion) in 2022 and €350 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation. BLOOMBERG