<p>Italian designer Alessandro Michele on Wednesday left Gucci, where he has overseen a surge in sales at the fashion powerhouse since 2015 but seen his star fade in recent seasons.</p>.<p>"Gucci today announces that Alessandro Michele is stepping down as creative director of Gucci," said French conglomerate Kering, which owns the Italian house.</p>.<p>It said he had played "a fundamental part in making the brand what it is today through his groundbreaking creativity".</p>.<p>Michele, in the same joint statement, said: "There are times when paths part ways because of the different perspectives each one of us may have."</p>.<p>Kering said Gucci's design office would "continue to carry the direction of the house forward until a new creative organisation" was announced.</p>.<p>Industry bible Women's Wear Daily earlier on Wednesday said Michele was quitting after being asked to orchestrate a creative revamp to restore the brand's lustre.</p>.<p>With his bookish chic looks and vintage mashups that harkened back to the 1970s and 80s, Michele helped turn the once-flagging house into a white-hot success, drawing in a new generation of fans with his anti-establishment veneer.</p>.<p>Michele also joined a handful of other designers by announcing in 2021 that the number of annual shows would be slashed from five to just two, saying that "clothes should have a longer life" and that his future collections would be "seasonless".</p>.<p>Sales also got a boost from 2021's Ridley Scott-directed "House of Gucci" film with Lady Gaga and a host of Hollywood A-listers.</p>.<p>But enthusiasm had begun to wane among industry insiders, according to WWD, with Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault eager for a quick change at the helm.</p>.<p>Pinault wished the designer a "great next chapter in his creative journey".</p>.<p>"The road that Gucci and Alessandro walked together over the past years is unique and will remain as an outstanding moment in the history of the house," he said.</p>.<p>Financial analysts at the brokerage firm Bernstein said earlier in a research note to clients: "Gucci is suffering from brand fatigue and Alessandro Michele has been doing the same thing for the past seven years."</p>.<p>"Institutional investors appear to agree that a new approach is needed to relaunch the brand," added analysts at Royal Bank of Canada.</p>
<p>Italian designer Alessandro Michele on Wednesday left Gucci, where he has overseen a surge in sales at the fashion powerhouse since 2015 but seen his star fade in recent seasons.</p>.<p>"Gucci today announces that Alessandro Michele is stepping down as creative director of Gucci," said French conglomerate Kering, which owns the Italian house.</p>.<p>It said he had played "a fundamental part in making the brand what it is today through his groundbreaking creativity".</p>.<p>Michele, in the same joint statement, said: "There are times when paths part ways because of the different perspectives each one of us may have."</p>.<p>Kering said Gucci's design office would "continue to carry the direction of the house forward until a new creative organisation" was announced.</p>.<p>Industry bible Women's Wear Daily earlier on Wednesday said Michele was quitting after being asked to orchestrate a creative revamp to restore the brand's lustre.</p>.<p>With his bookish chic looks and vintage mashups that harkened back to the 1970s and 80s, Michele helped turn the once-flagging house into a white-hot success, drawing in a new generation of fans with his anti-establishment veneer.</p>.<p>Michele also joined a handful of other designers by announcing in 2021 that the number of annual shows would be slashed from five to just two, saying that "clothes should have a longer life" and that his future collections would be "seasonless".</p>.<p>Sales also got a boost from 2021's Ridley Scott-directed "House of Gucci" film with Lady Gaga and a host of Hollywood A-listers.</p>.<p>But enthusiasm had begun to wane among industry insiders, according to WWD, with Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault eager for a quick change at the helm.</p>.<p>Pinault wished the designer a "great next chapter in his creative journey".</p>.<p>"The road that Gucci and Alessandro walked together over the past years is unique and will remain as an outstanding moment in the history of the house," he said.</p>.<p>Financial analysts at the brokerage firm Bernstein said earlier in a research note to clients: "Gucci is suffering from brand fatigue and Alessandro Michele has been doing the same thing for the past seven years."</p>.<p>"Institutional investors appear to agree that a new approach is needed to relaunch the brand," added analysts at Royal Bank of Canada.</p>