Change is necessary but always surprising.

Italian fashion brand Gucci seems to have started the winds of change as well. According to WWD’s exclusive report, “solid sources” stated that creative director Alessandro Michele will leave the Italian luxury brand and that the brand is expected to issue a statement soon. He said he was “asked to initiate a strong design change” to spark a fire under the brand, but the designer did not meet that demand. Another source states that the decision was made because François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Gucci’s parent company Kering, wanted to take the group’s star brand, Gucci, in a different direction.

Also from different sources. According to the information received, Gucci is said to have not responded to requests for comment. While this is the forerunner of an official announcement of the brand to be made from a primary source, the expected announcement finally came.

As the calendars show the date of November 23, 2022 Gucci announced that Alessandro Michele has resigned from his position as Gucci’s Creative Director. Gucci President and CEO Marco Bizzarri stated that he was lucky to have had the opportunity to meet Alessandro at the end of 2014. Kering Chairman and CEO François-Henri Pinault said: “The path that Gucci and Alessandro have walked together over the past years will be unique and will remain an extraordinary moment in their history. I am grateful to Alessandro for bringing so much of himself to this adventure. His passion, imagination, creativity and culture have placed Gucci at the center of the scene where it is located. I wish him a great next chapter on his creative journey.”

As much as Pinault’s moves in the last period, this change doesn’t come as a big surprise, although it may surprise the wind. Despite the strong performance of the brand, Pinault made several creative leadership moves, including sacking Daniel Lee from Bottega Veneta.

Come to the news from the Alessandro Michele front. Since 2015, when the designer took office, he pioneered the brand’s appeal to a younger and more diverse clientele. After his appointment, Gucci reportedly posted growth of more than 35 percent in five consecutive quarters through the first quarter of 2018. Michele is the last time two children play together with her inspirational angel and close friend Harry Styles.