時尚界近日又是人事地震頻發,在Dries Van Noten宣布離開同名品牌之後,又一任老將出走 —— Valentino的現任創意總監Pierpaolo Piccioli將離開,而誰來接替他則成了熱議的新聞。目前還處在空閒狀態的紅人設計師除了剛從Alexander McQueen離任的Sarah Burton,還有此前在Givenchy的Matthew Williams等人,但根據《WWD》援引知情人士消息,曾在Gucci力挽狂瀾的Alessandro Michele將很有可能成為新的創意總監。

PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 20: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY - For Non-Editorial use please seek approval from Fashion House) Designer Pierpaolo Piccioli walks the runway during the Valentino Menswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 20, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/WireImage)

PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 20: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY - For Non-Editorial use please seek approval from Fashion House) Designer Pierpaolo Piccioli walks the runway during the Valentino Menswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 20, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/WireImage)

消息還指出Valentino的母公司Mayhoola去年的時候就已經邀約過Michele加入公司,但當時給他的職位是Walter Albini品牌創意總監,顯然這個offer並不令人滿意。但今次的Valentino就更有誘惑力,不單單是Valentino有着更龐大的體量和知名度,它還有高訂系列可以讓Michele發揮其創意。與此同時,Valentino又沒有如Gucci一樣的銷售規模和業績壓力,對Michele來說也更為輕鬆。

MILAN, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 23: Fashion Designer Alessandro Michele acknowledges the applause of the audience during the Gucci Twinsburg Show during Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on September 23, 2022 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images for Gucci)

MILAN, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 23: Fashion Designer Alessandro Michele acknowledges the applause of the audience during the Gucci Twinsburg Show during Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on September 23, 2022 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images for Gucci)

Michele加入Valentino的傳聞並非空穴來風,Valentino的CEO Jacopo Venturini和Michele兩人本來就是熟人,也曾一起共事過。另一方面,Michele曾和Gucci簽署的競業協議也將在這個月到期,而Valentino也急需一個新的創意領導人,以免品牌內部團隊無法協調導致多個季度空窗(該品牌目前已經宣布取消下一季的高訂和男裝)。

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 05: Jacopo Venturini and Pierpaolo Piccioli attend The Fashion Awards 2022 at the Royal Albert Hall on December 05, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/BFC/Getty Images for BFC)

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 05: Jacopo Venturini and Pierpaolo Piccioli attend The Fashion Awards 2022 at the Royal Albert Hall on December 05, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/BFC/Getty Images for BFC)

而從Michele個人生活習慣角度來說,他會傾向於繼續留在意大利生活,而且繼續生活在羅馬,那可選擇的範圍其實也更小。Valentino在週五宣布Piccioli離任的時候透露將會儘快揭曉新的接班人,不過也有消息認為不排除Maria Grazia Chiuri會回到羅馬的可能性,而Chiuri此前也曾聯手Piccioli擔任Valentino創意總監一職。

如果Michele真如傳聞所言,成為新任Valentino的創意總監,那對雙方來說或許都是一次雙贏的合作。作為觀眾的我們,也終於將在這股quiet luxury的極簡風潮中迎來新一輪極具藝術觀賞性、文化考究性和多樣的設計性的時尚潮流。