A surprising decision from Valentino

Valentino’s surprising decision has caught even the most seasoned fashion insiders off guard. Following Pierpaolo Piccioli’s resignation as the brand’s creative director last Friday, the Roman fashion house has taken some highly unusual steps. It was announced that this year’s Valentino menswear and haute couture shows will not be presented. There’s another scheduling change worth noting. Paris Men’s Fashion Week, which usually takes place in June, has been moved to June 18–23. The haute couture shows are now set for June 24–27. Despite the revised calendar, due to these exceptional circumstances, Valentino has chosen not to present its collections—even on the new dates. Why?

Blank slate

Starting from the beginning. The governing body of French fashion has decided to reschedule the autumn haute couture shows in 2024 to avoid overlapping with the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games. These Games, which have long been synonymous with athletic achievement, will take place from July 26 to August 11. The Paralympics, on the other hand, will be held from August 28 to September 8. This decision was made to minimize disruptions in both the fashion and sports worlds.

Piccioli’s departure from his role as creative director at Valentino is still a remarkably recent event. Yet his final Fall 2024 collection, crafted entirely in black, served as a kind of tribute to the brand. It was almost like his farewell ode to the fashion house. The fact remains that Valentino’s surprising decision not to have the team design further menswear and couture collections based on Piccioli’s initial concepts is significant. This suggests the possibility of a new designer arriving, who may soon begin work on the women’s line, and who might prefer to start from scratch, with a completely clean slate.

“Creativity will remain at the heart and soul of our brand, serving as the key element shaping future collections—both ready-to-wear and haute couture, for men and women alike. We will continue to elevate our brand DNA by exploring its iconic motifs and unparalleled Italian heritage.” These were the words in Monday’s statement from Valentino.

A surprising decision by Valentino, or is it really?

Information surrounding Piccioli’s departure remains largely speculative. Valentino has announced that a successor will be appointed soon, indicating that the process is accelerating. Some sources also suggest that former Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele will take his place and is currently in contract negotiations.

Michele unexpectedly left Gucci in November 2022, and his non-compete clause is set to expire this month. Meanwhile, Valentino is in urgent need of a designer to avoid a prolonged gap in its collections. There is therefore a likelihood that the new creative director’s first collection will be prepared for the women’s line for the Spring 2025 season. This is the opposite of the situation years ago, when Michele had to assemble a collection for Gucci after his predecessor’s sudden departure. This time, expectations are much higher. “He used to be able to improvise, but now he’s already an established designer. The first collection for Valentino has to be flawless, a real hit,” comments one source. So now we await the official statement from the fashion house regarding who will lead the brand back to the top.