Maximimalists rejoice; Alessandro Michele is officially back.
Valentino's newly appointed creative director has thrown the ultimate fashion curveball on the last day of Milan Fashion Week. Just two months after the eponymous Italian fashion house announced Michele's appointment after Pierpaolo Piccoli's 16 years as creative director, we are witnessing major shake-ups in the industry. From Sabato De Sarno following on after Michele's eight years at Gucci to last week's news of Virginie Viard's upcoming departure from Chanel, leaving plenty of whispers of who will be following on from Karl Lagerfeld's successor.
As De Sarno prepares to showcase his Spring/Summer 2025 offerings for Gucci's menswear show in just a few hours, Michele took to Valentino's social media accounts to release a series of images to present the brand's pre-Spring 2025 lookbook. Featuring a whopping 171 looks, plus 93 separate images of shoes, jewellery, and bags. The collection, titled Avant les Débuts, simply translates to 'before the debut,' leaving avid fans wondering what else will be coming après the surprise debut.
