Is Alessandro Michele Leaving Gucci?

A major change is potentially coming to Gucci -- fashion insiders are stating that Alessandro Michele, the house's creative director since 2015, might be leaving the fashion brand.

According to WWD, Gucci will be issuing an official statement on the matter as early as Wednesday, while the brand is not responding to requests for comment at this time. The close source of the luxury house said that the creative director "was asked to initiate a strong design shift," which he was unable to do. Another source familiar with the situation shared with the outlet that Kering's chairman and CEO François-Henri Pinault has plans to bring a "change of pace" to the brand.

Not much information is available as of writing. Michele, who first joined Gucci back in 2015, brought major changes to the fashion house and the larger industry throughout his time. The designer blurred the boundaries between menswear and womenswear, combining the two into coed runway shows in 2017 up until this year, announcing last month that Gucci will be uncoupling its presentations and returning to the men's fashion week calendar. Under Michele's direction, Gucci, which turned 100 in 2021, showcased major projects such as a "Hacker Project" with Balenciaga as well as a collaboration with adidas earlier this year. For his latest show, Michele featured real-life twins on the runway wearing his signature gender-fluid style.

If confirmed, this wouldn't be the first major change Kering has brought to its brands in recent years. Just a year ago, the conglomerate parted ways with Daniel Lee after the designer transformed Bottega Veneta, replacing him with Matthieu Blazy instead.

WWD additionally noted that Michele never flew to Seoul for Gucci's repeat "Cosmogonie" show originally scheduled for November 1, which was canceled last minute due to a tragic incident that took place in the city's Itaewon district where more than 150 people were killed from a crowd surge.

The news would arrive ahead of Milan Fashion Week Men's slated for January 2023. Stay tuned as we learn more about Alessandro Michele's potential departure from Gucci.