Alessandro Michele - Designer, Creative Director of Valentino

[Frederic01]

The awkwardness of the tension between Alessandro and Giancarlo, and how the latter still supports Maria Grazia and Pierpaolo LOL.

Rumors of Michele’s potential exit are becoming increasingly insistent, further fueled by his conspicuous absence at the celebratory dinner for the opening of the PM23 Foundation by Giammetti and Valentino Garavani; an event attended, instead, by his predecessors Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri.

ALAMY

 

[PDFSD]

Poor Lallo is now out of options after Valentino...

i am sure there will be another brand bit smaller willing to have him....the question is if his ego and salary request would let him take it.

 

[Salvatore]

He should just do jewelry (his own label preferably) and/or costumes like he said he wanted to do in the first place. I knew the haute couture collection was going to be a mess when he basically came with the disclaimer that he was more of a costumer than a couturier. Many in Hollywood or the fine Performing Arts like theatre, musicals, operas, and ballets would hire him I am sure, but is it « glamorous » and « philosophical » enough for him is the question. He strikes me as one who thinks they have a lot to say, but really doesn't.

 

[Lola701]

He should go back to be the CD of Ginori 1735. He has left his mark on fashion but clearly, he gave everything he got.
Working on films, theatre and at the same time doing Ginori would be enough.

Sometimes, I have a frustration for designers where I want to see them achieve their vision fully. He has done Womenswear, Menswear, Couture, Fragrances, interiors. We don’t see any evolution. Time will be kind to him as revisionism will make people say that his Valentino was iconic so…

 

[PDFSD]

EXCLUSIVE: Riccardo Bellini Is Valentino’s New CEO​

The veteran executive, skilled at creative turnarounds, has been managing director of Valentino parent Mayhoola since last January.
ByMILES SOCHA WWD. COM

AUGUST 20, 2025, 8:00AM​

Riccardo Bellini COURTESY OF VALENTINO


Valentino‘s next chief executive officer comes from above: Riccardo Bellini, managing director of the Roman house’s parent Mayhoola, will step into the operational role on Sept. 1, the Roman house announced Wednesday.
The veteran luxury executive brings to the task formidable turnaround experience, the trust of Mayhoola’s majority shareholder, a strong rapport with Valentino’s creative director Alessandro Michele, familiarity with the Roman house’s business challenges — and nerves of steel.

It is understood Mayhoola has no immediate plans to name a new managing director, signaling the importance and scale of the Valentino challenge by entrusting its top lieutenant, who had spent at least half his time on the Roman brand since assuming the group-level role last January. (Mayhoola also controls Balmain, Pal Zileri and Turkish retailer Beymen.)

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Bellini succeeds Jacopo Venturini, who stepped down as CEO earlier this month, having reached a mutual agreement with Valentino to terminate his employment and board roles. The executive had “decided to take a break for personal reasons,” as reported.


Bellini is tasked with quickly reversing fortunes at Valentino after Venturini’s relaunch of the brand under Michele’s creative direction sputtered. It will require Michele evolving his creative message and aesthetic, which hewed closely to his Gucci era and failed to ignite the business.
Underlining luxury’s current lull, Valentino saw its 2024 revenues decrease 3 percent to 1.31 billion euros amidst “a challenging and complex landscape.” Meanwhile, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization fell 22 percent to 246 million euros.

It is understood the brand is tracking double-digit revenue declines, and the house has been destabilized by the sudden, unplanned departure of Venturini, who spent five years in the role, straddling the tenures of Michele and his predecessor Pierpaolo Piccioli, who makes his debut at Balenciaga this fall.

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Bellini will be based between Valentino’s offices in Paris, Rome and Milan, though one of his first tasks will be to flex his muscles as a motivator of teams by paying visits to Valentino employees around the world and drumming up enthusiasm. The executive is known for an inclusive, engaging and emphatic style of leadership.

He has already held extensive discussions with Michele on the “creative realignment” required to rev up Valentino. The executive is said to believe strongly in the Italian designer’s deep creative thinking — and his ability to devise a 360-degree brand narrative, as he did during his stellar rein at Gucci from 2015 to 2022.

To be sure, there is some urgency to Bellini’s turnaround task: Kering, which in 2023 took a 30 percent stake in Valentino as part of a broader strategic partnership with Mayhoola, has an option to buy 100 percent of Valentino’s capital by 2028, with the final purchase price linked to the Italian fashion brand’s performance.

According to Bernstein analyst Luca Solca, debt-riddled Kering will need up to 3.4 billion euros in cash to pay for the remaining 70 percent.
In a brief statement shared first with WWD, Mayhoola chairman and CEO Rachid Mohammed Rachid said Bellini’s appointment would accelerate Valentino’s trajectory.
“I know his extensive luxury experience, strategic acumen and proven leadership, which — together with Alessandro Michele’s powerful creative vision — will drive the maison forward and amplify its unique identity,” he said.

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Riccardo commented: “I am honored to join Valentino, an iconic maison that blends extraordinary heritage and craftsmanship with a unique creative voice. I look forward to working with Alessandro Michele and the exceptional Valentino teams to celebrate the maison’s timeless values while crafting its next chapter.”
A pensive, yet ebullient executive who frequently collaborates with sociologists to delve deeply into brand DNA, Bellini is probably best known for the turnarounds he engineered at Chloé and Maison Margiela.
To be sure, he left an indelible mark on Chloé, devising a new business model based on purpose, sustainability and accountability. During his four years as president and CEO of the French maison, the Italian executive famously recruited designer Gabriela Hearst to fast-track Chloé’s eco ambitions all the way to B Corp status — and drive the business forward, with revenues rising roughly 60 percent in the first two years of their partnership, and 40 percent over four years.
Bellini also recruited Hearst’s successor, Chemena Kamali, and worked with her on her debut collection before exiting in 2023. He went on to consult with a number of luxury and fashion players, including Mayhoola, advising the Qatar-based family office and Rachid on its portfolio strategy and M&A, though no deals have yet materialized.
Bellini had joined Chloé in 2019 from Maison Margiela, where he spent three years as CEO, having risen through the ranks of OTB, the Italian fashion group controlled by Renzo Rosso. At Margiela, it is understood revenues more than doubled during his tenure, partnering with its then creative director John Galliano to evolve designs and communications to resonate with the brand and the market.

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Bellini’s challenge at Valentino is analogous, as Michele is also relatively new in his role. He was nominated in March 2024 and his first designs, for the resort 2025 season, arrived in stores last fall.
Prior to Margiela, Bellini was executive vice president of branding at Diesel and Diesel Black Gold and chief marketing officer at Diesel.
The Italian executive started his career at Procter & Gamble Co., transitioning from beauty to a fruitful career in fashion. He is a graduate of Bocconi University and IESE Business School.
Mayhoola, an investment vehicle linked to the royal family of Qatar, is a relatively new luxury player, having acquired Valentino in 2012, Pal Zileri in 2014, Beymen in 2015, and Balmain in 2016.
Signaling a deepening commitment to the industry, it appointed Bellini as managing director, bringing its structure in line with Europe’s key luxury groups, which have installed high-powered coaches and business builders to oversee multiple brands, such as Philippe Fortunato, CEO of Fashion & Accessories Maisons at Richemont, and Francesca Bellettini, Kering’s deputy CEO in charge of brand development.
His mission was to support Rachid in overseeing “the strategic and operational activities of Mayhoola’s luxury brand portfolio” by “supporting brands to enhance performance, fostering talent development and identifying growth opportunities,” Mayhoola said when Bellini was appointed last January.
It is understood Bellini was attracted to Mayhoola’s long-term approach to value creation, and his strong complicity with Rachid.

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During his brief time in the role, Bellini closely followed the Valentino situation, its key issues and opportunities, and oversaw a creative evolution and organizational renewal at Balmain. He also tweaked the strategy and positioning at Pal Zileri.
Michele’s next collection for Valentino will be unveiled in Paris for spring 2026 with a show on Oct. 5.

 

[PDFSD]

www.businessoffashion.com

Bellini will now be tasked with recalibrating Valentino’s marketing message and merchandising to help thread the needle between Michele’s bold creations and a brand whose client base has historically favoured a more conservative style. Revamped collections and campaigns under Michele so far have been deeply rooted in Valentino’s archive, but were perceived by many consumers as déjà vu: their kitschy, layered-on styling and ruffled silhouettes too reminiscent of the designer’s recent blockbuster tenure at Gucci.

 

[tourbillions]

valentino the new lanvin

 

[Lola701]

Good luck with that.
Tbh, Alessandro’s next collection will be a instrumental in the future success of his Valentino. Either he streamline the styling into something more approachable, similar to his first 2/3 collections for Gucci…Or he continues his ego trip and people will move on. All the eyes will be on PPP. With already a non-support of GG, there’s a lot at stake.

I’m praying for Valentino that the Vans collab never make it to their stores.

 

[bc collector]

I'm really speechless, at this point: judging from the article, it sounds like the problem lies only with merchandising and operational issues. But the elephant in the room, me thinks, is mainly the choice of Michele as CD, his inability to adapt to the true spirit of the house which, for better or for worse, is the exact opposite of his own. You cannot make a tramp into a lady, no matter how hard you tinker with the details. Worst of all, Michele has proved unable to gain the respect of Giammetti and the Atelier and that should be in itself a reason to let him go already.

 

[jeanclaude]

"Alessandro Michele’s powerful creative vision"...

This is more science-fiction than Stanley Kubrick whole filmography...

 

[YohjiAddict]

"Alessandro Michele’s powerful creative vision"...

This is more science-fiction than Stanley Kubrick whole filmography...

But IT IS quite powerful, like a NUKE that has completely destroyed Valentino as a brand.

 

[brandon J pierre]

But IT IS quite powerful, like a NUKE that has completely destroyed Valentino as a brand.

Valentino it's not destroyed by a long shot. His time there will be glossed over as a "show" he will have to minimize or move on. There's so much beautiful archives at Valentino I don't understand what anyone would want to harm it. But then again balenciaga.

 

[Frederic01]

Either he streamline the styling into something more approachable, similar to his first 2/3 collections for Gucci…Or he continues his ego trip and people will move on. All the eyes will be on PPP. With already a non-support of GG, there’s a lot at stake.

I fear his ego is too big for that now. Alessandro is completely lost in showmanship and he is desperately trying to prove himself as the Galliano/McQueen/Lagerfeld of these times in terms of "wow factor" and spectacle.

For example, that FW 25 show, he really thought he did something with that toilet show. But it was a disaster. The most un-Valentino show that has ever existed in the existence of the brand. And sure, it probably got a lot of social media engagement and hype, but will it bring in customers? I don't think so. If anything, it will probably push them further away.

Valentino is at total risk of losing most of its clientele to Pierpaolo at Balenciaga. Especially at Haute Couture. Which reminds me, has anyone seen a private client in Alessandro's HC pieces? I am curious. Not celebrities or gifts, but actual clients...