Cue the fashion week soundtrack, because this game of designer musical chairs is hitting peak tempo. From Gucci to Balenciaga to Valentino and back again, the world’s top creative directors seem to be swapping seats like it’s Fashion Week speed dating.
Is anyone else struggling to keep up with who’s designing for whom anymore? Because same. Lately, the fashion world feels like it’s been hijacked by a very elite game of musical chairs. Creative directors are hopping between major houses with such frequency, you’d think they were trading Pokémon cards over espresso. With Demna leaving Balenciaga to head Gucci, Alessandro Michele’s move from Gucci to Valentino, and Pierpaolo Piccioli exiting Valentino — possibly heading to Balenciaga — it’s starting to look less like strategy and more like a designer carousel.
Cue the music, last one gets Gucci? Here are my notes and predictions:
Alessandro Michele -> Gucci -> Valentino
For Gucci
- 2015-2022
- bold, eclectic, gender-fluid
- maximalist looks inspired by vintage fashion and art history
- gave the horsebit loafers a fresh twist
For Valentino
- Gucci 2.0?
- maximalism + archival elegance = Alessandro’s Valentino
- Alessandro compared his new role to conducting an orchestra guided by love and dedication
- personally think he is doing an impeccable job at keeping the spirit of the house alive but then it depends on which references people criticising his maximalism are looking at I guess
Demna -> Balenciaga -> Gucci
For Balenciaga
- 2015-2025
- exaggerated silhouettes and oversized tailoring
- used runway shows as form of social commentary
- are we all remembering the scandal of 2022? (did anyone ever get fired for this?)
For Gucci
- Gucci has been losing money and say what you want but Balenciaga’s revenue under Demna sky rocketed
- the brand needs fresh wind in its sails and Demna is nothing if not a thought-provoking fashion tornado
- will he leave behind the brand’s heritage for the sake of leaning into its “street-wearability”?
Pierpaolo -> Valentino -> Balenciaga
For Valentino
- 2008-2024
- iconic use of colour (Valentino Pink PP)
- increased focus on using “real” people instead of models (read this somewhere, as if models weren’t real people? but we get the gist)
- fabulous couture shows (need I say more)
For Balenciaga
- was this on anyone’s bingo card?
- incredibly excited as he truly honoured Garavani during his tenure at Valentino so hopefully he will bring back some of Cristóbal’s vision
- will we continue to see his excellent play with colours?
While I am very intrigued to see how the next season will play out, I couldn’t help but notice when writing this, that all I am talking about are white men. Which brings up the question: “Why have there been no great female creative directors?” Or rather: Why only so few?
To be continued…
Lead Image Collage Courtesy of Instagram @pppiccioli; @alessandro_michele; @demnadaily
