Alessandra Facchinetti out at Valentino *Update* new Creative Director at Tod's

[Salvatore]

From accessories to haute couture? What sense does this make really? I could see it if the accessories were interesting and creative, but they're not. No idea....!

 

[FashionPower]

I was reading newspaper today at school and I found this article about Alessandra

Il divorzio tra Alessandra Facchinetti e Valentino Fashion Group si è consumato ieri a Parigi con l’efferata crudeltà che il business impone alla moda. Bella ed elegante come non mai, la trentaseienne stilista di Bergamo ha mantenuto un’ammirevole calma nel backstage dove già circolavano i nomi di chi molto probabilmente la sostituirà: Pierpaolo Piccioli e Maria Grazia Chiuri, da 10 anni in azienda alla direzione creativa degli accessori con ottimi risultati. L’annuncio ufficiale dovrebbe seguire una riunione straordinaria del consiglio di amministrazione convocata per oggi come fonti manageriali interne confidano: «Alessandra è bravissima, lavora tanto e bene, ma esclude tutti gli altri, non sa fare squadra». Su questo punto Piccioli e Chiuri sono invece imbattibili prima di tutto perché da sempre lavorano in coppia .In buona sostanza la Facchinetti avrebbe commesso lo stesso errore strategico che nel 2005 le costò il posto da Gucci concentrandosi solo sui vestiti senza nemmeno consultare chi, disegnando borsette e scarpe, porta più facilmente risultati commerciali al brand. Certo i numeri sono molto diversi perché allora gli accessori disegnati da Frida Giannini producevano la maggioranza degli enormi ricavi di Gucci, mentre nel caso di Valentino stiamo parlando di circa un quinto del totale: 50 sui 261 milioni nel 2007. «Per l’anno in corso sta aumentando sensibilmente,abbiamo bisogno di un team di maggior successo» ha detto l’amministratore delegato Stefano Sassi parlando del giro d’affari degli accessori Valentino.Si dice ad esempio che della bellissima collezione alta moda presentata lo scorso gennaio sia stato venduto un solo modello, mentre alcuni storici compratori della griffe non avrebbero ordinato neanche un capo del prêt à porter per il prossimo inverno perchè non disegnato piu da Valentino

Il Giornale

The article says that she's going to be replaced by Pierpaolo Piccioli e Maria Grazia Chiuri and that the duo have been working for the maison for 10 years with excellent results.Valentino group said that "Alessandra is a very good designer,but she CAN'T work with others,she excludes everybody",so that's why they decided to replace her with Pierpaolo and Maria Grazia:first because they're a very succesfull team and also because the duo created a few years ago the famous Fendi "Baguette" bag.So the 36 years old designer committed the same mistake of 3 years ago,when she was fired from Gucci for her selfishness concentrating only on clothes and not on accessories,that makes a big part of a brand's sales.But the situation was very different because the accessory line designed by Frida Giannini made the majority of the sales and at Valentino shoes and bags made only the fifth part them:50 millions over 261 during 2007."For the current year accessories sales are increasing costantly,so we need a more successful team" said CEO Stefano Sassi talking about the entire issue.There're also some non confirmed news,like that ONLY ONE outfit from the latest Haute Couture collection was sold and famous historical buyers decided to not order any piece of the Fall Winter collection because not designed anymore by Valentino.

 

[christina126]

Where have all the people that used to bash Alessandra gone? Just a few months ago, noone really liked her work in Valentino.

I'm one of those people. I love her work, esp. this last collection, but its not a fit for Valentino. I'm excited to see what the future will bring with Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri, b/c I think they'll stay true to Valentino's vision, but I was sort of hoping for Valli to replace Alessandra. I'm really hoping Alessandra will continue on her own.

 

[Salvatore]

Thanks for this FashionPower!

 

[Mr-Dale]

^^^ Wow, if that last sentence is true, then the house is dead. And if the description Spike gave in his post is really the only fitting one for this house, then there is noone out there atm to fill the position. Is the house nearing an end?

 

[eternitygoddess]

The haute couture collection was magnificent. Those dresses were seriously very beautiful.

Valentino is dead in my book.

 

[eternitygoddess]

On a sidenote, am I the only one who thinks Valentino is the easiest house for a new designer to follow in?

His taste largely followed the Old-Hollywood era. It's not hard to pin down. I'm really surprised that anyone would have trouble following in Valentino's footsteps.

 

[nyc_art_style]

i don't think it's an easy house to come into at all. Valentino's work is so extensive and legendary that it's hard for a new designer to breathe their own personal style into it I think. People are used to Valentino being lots of red carpet gowns and lunch suits for confident powerful women. It's hard not to do a collection that encircles that aesthetic and still be Valentino.

It's a little narrow of what can be done there if you think about it. Tons of glamorous gowns and nothing else. There's no room to be really creative or artistic.

 

[reese06]

^^That's very true that his designs are not hard to pin down eternitygoddess. But if the old clients are not buying the collection because Valentino himself isn't designing, then this house cannot survive. I wonder if the outcome and reaction from "historical" clients would have been the same if she had stuck to the traditional Old-Hollywood Valentino.

 

[Bahiyya]

Oh! Well the Fall collection was the first time I ever, ever bought a Valentino suit -- or gave the collection much attention at all -- because it gave off a very "made for my grandmother's days" vibe. (Not even my Mom bothered, really.) I don't really think much of clothes made by excellent clutch designers (which, considering they made Valentino bags, is a joke) so I don't expect to care much about upcoming collections, although you never know.

I'm not surprised to hear that former loyal customers stayed away after Valentino left, even moreso for the couture than the RTW...but I thought the couture collection's obvious excellence would get it at least more than *one* customer....

I like Valli at Valli. For me he was a more restrained Valentino...but if he does become its head designer then he might as well drop his own? I don't see him having enough creative ideas to make the two houses different enough....

 

[Dkammern]

i cant really see what makes them think that a couple of clutch designers are any more attractive for the loyal customer than alessandra. and besides the baguette... what else have they done in the last decade? barbie shoes?
i always thought she had a very strong personality... in a way that i thought she could really build up a new clientele... one that would very much look like her or s/...
the thing is that takes a lot of time, of course, and the business men had no time to lose apparently...

 

[kimair]

thanks for that article fashionpower...

hm...sounds like she has a similar problem as lars nilsson...
that is not a good reputation to have, although i can understand having a certain level of exclusion...
i bet she wanted to look at the archives and make her own interpretation of valentino, not listen to what other people thought she should do...
i wonder how other houses did in terms of couture sales...

and just because you worked at a house for 10 years designing bags doesn't mean you can design clothes...
exhibit a: frida giannini...

 

[Luxx]

Thank you for that article Fashion Power. It saddens me and it also makes the couture buyers sound very shallow and slightly ridiculous. Quite frankly, I was not particularly interested in Valentino before Alessandra signed on and I doubt I'm going to be interested now that two inexperienced handbag designers are taking over. If only one of the outfits in what I think was the best couture collection of that season was bought then it only makes me question those doing the buying.

 

[FashionPower]

Well I have to say that SS09 accessories are quite bad...very simple ballerinas,bland heels,same for purses...you can see that she thinks that shoes and bags are not so important for a fashion house

 

[Miss Dalloway]

Damn i am sorry to see her leave because i think she has talent for sure, but i have to say the last collection was a clear proof why she is wrong for Valentino, i dont know if the replacement is going to do better though.

 

[disco54]

If your having accessory designers do a Haute couture collection then your F**** , thats just ridiculous , Frida doing H/C she cant even put a decent RTW collection together lol . Alessandra needs to do her own line, I think its a blessing disguise for her and she should get the point and open her own house , the girls got skills!

 

[espritDEcouture]

Her replacement...all that sounds a little too familiar!! Gucci?

You're right. It's, sadly, a little too familiar.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/04/business/EU-Fashion-Valentino.php

I kind of felt her designs were very fresh and perhaps, it wouldn't hurt to take the house in a new direction. But, whatever.

 

[cesarcmma]

Thanks for the article FashionPower, I'm not surprised either for the couture sales because those clients are very loyal, but that would happen to any new designer at Valentino he/she would have to win the loyalty and respect of the historic buyers and that's something that needs a lot of time and consistent collections, I wonder how was the beginning of Karl Lagerfeld doing couture at Chanel.

But what can we spect for the january Couture show if accesories designers design it?

Only time would tell.

 

[tigerrouge]

Yes, and I imagine the social touch of the great man was part of the couture experience - of clients getting to be one of Val's gals. How many articles have we seen about his houses, his lifestyle? That's part of what those people were buying, and it's all gone. It's not Alessandra's fault that she can't offer a similar 'image' because she's not a multi-millionairess.

Good luck to the accessory designers who have spent ten years happily designing for the house, their fortunes might change a little, once they're placed in positions closer to public scrutiny.

 

[LagerfeldBoy]

i'm just scared.....from accessories to couture?!? thats just ****ing wrong. and with valentino being such an iconic brand, i'm just scared as to what the future of it is