In news that will surprise no-one with their finger on the fashion pulse, Gucci has confirmed that it has appointed Alessandro Michele as its creative director.
Michele, formerly the house's head accessories designer, has been odds-on favourite for the job since delivering a barn-storming a/w 2015 menswear show at Milan Fashion Week - a collection pulled together, apparently, in a week by him in a caretaker role.
'Let's hope [Gucci parent company] Kering has already applied golden handcuffs to the talented Michele’s wrists,' wrote ELLE's Rebecca Lowthorpe on seeing the catwalk images. 'All eyes are now on Alessandro Michele because this was an awesome show – full of design credibility and just the kind of surprises we crave to see on the Gucci womenswear runway in February.'
Michele fills the shoes of Frida Giannini, who left the label - along with her CEO husband Patrizio Di Marco - earlier than expected last month after a nine-year stint in the top job. Other fashion-world favourites for the job had reportedly been Riccardo Tisci, Hedi Slimane and Tom Ford - who swiftly shut down whispers that he would return to the role he left in 2004.
