Who is Alessandro Michele and why is his return to the fashion world a big deal?

A file picture shows Alessandro Michelle at the 79th Venice Film Festival in 2022. Photo: Reuters

The song has stopped in at least one game of fashion musical chairs. Valentino has a new creative director: Alessandro Michele, the former Gucci designer who left that brand in 2022.

Michele, who was known for having transformed Gucci into a US$10bil (approximately RM47.4bil) powerhouse by making it a baroque treasure chest of inclusivity and magpie references, replaces Pierpaolo Piccioli, who recently parted ways with Valentino.