The BoF Podcast | Alessandro Michele: “There Is Always Mr. Valentino Somewhere With Me.”

alesandro it's such a pleasure to be here and what a what an amazing office what a beautiful space you've only been here for 3 months I know you're just settling in so it's it's a real pleasure to sit down with you for this interview you for this special series of bof 500 podcast interviews we're talking to people about success because success is different for everybody success looks and feels different sometimes when people talk about success in the media they talk about it as like like this but success comes in all different forms you know success

also comes with challenges and failures along the way uh and you're clearly a success you're but you're here in a way having a a second coming you know it's a second moment because success is often followed by another challenge and so I'm really excited to have this conversation with you because I I want to get into your mind to understand how you're feeling right now how you're thinking right now and also to share some advice and um guidance for other people who look up to you my first question for you is really you know when

you think about success how do you define success what does success look like and feel like to you CH Imran it's a it's a big question I don't know if I'm capable to explain exactly if I had to think about a success life or you know a kind of success it's not a pyramid it's not a way to go up but but it's more circular okay I I'm thinking about life as a circle maybe you can move you know somewhere in the circle where you feel better and if you don't feeling better and you are

not doing the right thing you can just move a little bit in another space of this circle you know and uh and it's more moving on left and right than up or down you know it's a I think that Society push people thinking about the way that is good or bad to be in your life going up or getting back down um it's not me I'm thinking more I mean that success is when you are in the right place when you are in a place that you choose when you free to be yourself I don't

want to look like the guy that try to say simp things because it's a way to look better but but it's unrealistic because it's a it's it's Li life it's a it's a space you know you have just to move where you feel more comfortable and um and yes maybe for most of the people I'm the one that had a kind of success the reality that to me it's more that I had the chance to share what I'm doing the things that make me feel good with other people that's very a could be the image

of success you know but it could be also that when you sharing something with 10 friends 15 people people that believe in the same things you know that you share the same thoughts most of the time I don't like the word success yeah it's not my word yeah I really like the way you talked about it as a circle cuz in a way we're we're in a full circle moment right now with you starting in a new house here at Valentino I wanted to go back to the first Circle though when you when you started

at Gucci yeah and you were kind of plucked from the background right you'd been working in the background with Tom Ford and feda janini and you'd been at Gucci for many many years and then all of a sudden you were given this opportunity how did you feel at that time like what was going through your head when you were given the the keys to this incredible new opportunity yes I felt that there was something interesting deep and maybe yes sometimes big but big I really felt that was that big almost at the end okay because

when you are in a love in a story Love Story love affair because for me it's been a love affair I was already there I work with so many people and I knew the company well because it's a huge Place Gucci yes maybe when I started was smaller than now and maybe was a big Italian brand but was a different time you know because so many things changed in the last 10 years I think that the world of fashion changed the world changed I just had fun you know because I was surrounded by friends and

people that you know work with me for years and years and um and it's been such an amazing time you know time where I was you know to read my story you know and the me and the company and and put on the paper a vision and make the vision real let the Young Generation and all the people old and young all together you know like enjoying this moment and it's been like almost eight years of joy and happiness and um I don't know how everything happened it's still a mysterious thing I think it all

happened really quickly right I remember there was that first men's show and then a few weeks later there was the ready to wear a show and it kind of shifted everything I worked so hard you know because I love my work I'm loving my work sometimes I'm I mean also in the last year I was thinking maybe I can give up you know because it's a I can do a movie I can do other things maybe I did almost everything but I understood that it's my playground the one that I really feel it you know

at that time was as you said I mean everything came very quick but I I think that when you have an intense life but not because I'm the one that usually I'm not light I'm not usually I I don't used to go out that that that that frequently but I mean in ense because I feel my job I feel the things I do I like life I like light I like to walk up I like to enjoy in front of a painting I like to chat with my boyfriend with my with friends look at the

beautiful things collect when you have an intense life and your brain is really yeah alive I think stimulated stimulated yeah and I'm I'm the one that usually stimulated pretty well my brain and I share the things with it's it's my real life and at that time I just put put it on the table a piece of my real life it's um of my thoughts and uh it's going to get really easy when it's real I think that that's the word that explain how could be possible at that time to make it alive in such a

you know quick way because was just me and who I am it's a it's I think that it's um a way to be a creative person or to work in a project putting many things that belongs to you with yes with the people with the company but I didn't expect honestly I usually I mean I'm the one that usually usual say you know I did everything from my stomach I didn't expect that reaction yeah that by the way was half and half at the beginning yeah people doubted it at the beginning some people very polarized

you know people that were really crazy because they maybe felt the same others that were like very against yeah then it's good you know you need always people that are against you it's an energy you know and uh it's a way to make them you know maybe start to think something different I don't know I mean I'm especially now maybe with h social media you are always in the middle of this playground yeah there's always a reaction yeah I remember Alexandro you know it started out as you said from a really instinctual place from your

stomach or from your gut right but then quite quickly it became a really big deal you know the biggest turnaround in the history of the fashion industry the business grew really quickly and you were all of a sudden gone from the background to being in the spotlight and I I get the sense you're not the kind of person who really loves that kind of Spotlight like how did you cope with that I didn't really felt under the spotlight you didn't no never not that that strong you know because I was really confused mhm just concentrated

on the many many things that I was working on and I was really enjoying the studio that was almost mine at that time and I could share with my friends that were working with me so I felt always in a tiny Studio like a bubble yeah kind of bubble yeah was a I have to say that that time it it's been such a a CO moment of my life it started to change when everything became bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger yes I try to ignore it because as you said I don't like really

because it's a I don't think that I'm shy I'm not no in in the real life I'm not shy I'm I'm a good boy I can have many conversation I like people and being sometimes on that stage especially when I I remember I got the first award award and after I think many months but not that not I mean maybe eight something like this I'm I mean I'm totally relaxed with my job but I don't like to show myself I don't know why it's um it's intense you know because when you have in front of

you more than like 30 people I think that it's a human thing that you can really deal with that you know massive numbers of people I think that it's not natural and um I feel more comfortable and um around a table of eight people maximum but yes it was my life and and it was part of your job right part of your job became engaging with many people many more than 30 people millions of people on the internet as you said sometimes reacting responding in like polarizing ways and you know I think one of the

biggest challenges for designers right now or realities of designers is that everything is scrutinized so much I mean how do you protect your creativity when it's when there's so much attention so much scrutiny uh I I try more to to concentrate myself on the things that I like and be concentrated if I'm happy or I'm not happy that's the problem I mean I try to walk always in the right side of the way because when you pretend to be for everybody it's very complicated I'm trying to be good with myself that it's a big deal

you know it's it's a big thing because I mean I'm almost 52 years old in November and I'm enjoying my life and who I am and I think that that's a good way to be to feel yourself you know good and happy and maybe trying to I don't want to say ignore but um I don't like to give I don't I'm trying to feel myself not connected with people that maybe are very different or they don't understand or you know it's normal that when you are pretty popular it's a stupid things to try to be

concentrated on you know it's a I think the real life is always a good things to to look at you know our conversation here me and you I don't lose my myself I don't waste my time doing this crazy thing like checking everything you know so you're not reading all the comments and all that stuff I don't like these kind of things I mean I think that people are free to say what they want you know I need to be happy and um I mean it's it's a strange time because in the past was not

like this as you said before I never thought when I was a teenageer or when I was younger starting this job that I could be like being a pop star sometimes yeah uh because you I started and I being concentrated in completely other things and I was not thinking about my body the way I look I'm pretty obsessed to be happy with my look because I need to fil exactly who I am in my body but um but just for me and for maybe friends and sister partner real life and and myself first of all

now it's like that that I mean yes you have to start this conversation with you know hundred and thousand people that you don't know I mean on the social media and they com I mean they put a comment under every single picture of you maybe the only thing that I'm feeling there is they they just put in these kind of you know comments and conversation something that for me still pretty mysterious you know they seems to be very aggressive sometimes it's like that I'm stealing something from them it's interesting and often times they're doing it

with the veil of anonymity right it's like this Anonymous account so you know sometimes if you click on over some of those like really harsh messages you can see it's just someone who's H it's it's uh could be I think that if you're young could be very complicated I'm more from the other age I mean from the other Century um I'm I still write instead and you know type what do you say type yeah it's um I play with the iPad but I I'm not so good and um so maybe because I don't feel that

that this is a real life I mean real life is the one that I can really see with my eyes that I can touch so maybe that's why I don't put so much in that kind of you know activities it's uh I feel very far you know that's the real life I think so at some point you parted ways with Gucci you know why did that happen what happened that you decided to leave I mean there are many reasons you know kind of personal reason when a job doesn't fit anymore with you because maybe you

are you don't feel in the right place in the right moment I mean when I started I felt in the right place you felt like you were sharing your I mean at at the end I mean I started to felt the pressure a little bit the company was huge many people yeah I mean it's a it's a like relation you know you just feel that you are not more in that you know relation and I I leave the company really happy yeah because I had such a great time I'm not the the guy that I

don't have regrets if I would the chance to start again I will do it again it's part of my life but I decided with I think very easy and simple conversation that that was the time you know and um and I was really happy because I was thinking that maybe you know there is a a time for everything yeah and I think that is also really good when you feel it because when you try to go and walk on the same street that you know that is not going maybe in the right place yeah I

think there is a gift that you can feel it and um do you make a lot of decisions with the way you feel is like that does that guide you a lot yeah a lot if I don't feel good yeah I'm very sincere with myself I think that that's the most precious thing that I'm trying to keep yeah inside of me I think that I'm almost the same person the same guy the same boy that I'm the very beginning I mean it's it's the same thing I'm the same person I have the same you know

energy I don't feel the the time when I came here I felt there was a Another Place Another home I mean I was so happy to start something new yeah I like the the the moment that I'm leaving now you know I'm I'm not nostalgic I'm just happy looking back at the things like thinking about Gucci when I look back I see a beautiful frescos you know um Colorful full of energy I'm still surrounded by the pieces of that frescos and surrounded by love and friends and uh when I signed after a year and half

this contract they were all happy like they were signing to me with me and uh I'm still surrounded by that people and um yes I think that um I'm lucky yeah I'm lucky because I'm because everything is the same because I'm still the same and um is that that's probably quite critical to your it sounds like it's the same message I'm hearing on a number of different levels which is in order to kind of continue on this path you've had to stay really in touch with yourself and your feelings but also that you don't change

that you don't let the success in quotation marks you don't like that word you don't let it change you no at all I don't need to change why I should change also because it's a I wanted the that Alexandro feels everything I don't need another one I took some much time to make him now I'm talking about me as another person feeling good you know and uh being happy so I want to be with him not with another one because I mean it's a it's when you are in your body you feel everything your arm

your you know your mouth talking now for example your eyes looking around You Beautiful Things feeling the the the the energy of nice people and it's you always you yes I I know that could be dangerous because it's a there is a part of the world of the society that make you and push you thinking like okay it's not you now you are you have to change because people expect from you things and they expect that you are that person but um but first of all I'm not capable to do it so that's the reality

maybe I would love to do it I don't know I don't think so it's more that it's not true you must be who you are because it's a it's a great thing being contact with this body and this life and walking in the street feeling the ground feeling the breeze of the air you know that's life you know that's God yeah that's God I want to talk a little bit about the period in between Gucci and Valentino cuz you had it you said you had a year and a half year and a half how did

that feel like what what did you do how did you spend that time because you must have been there must have been so many thoughts going through your head so many feelings you had so many opportunities being offered to you like how did you navigate that period and how did you want to spend that time where you got to take a bit of a a step back simple things staying at home things that I couldn't do working like 8 n hours every day traveling everywhere so the new thing was no airport no plane nothing just

you your people friends my two nephews my sisters friends my life my beautiful home having so many walks in Rome so I didn't travel that much just few times in London Paris sometimes for for me sometimes because as you said I had so many conversation I took my time I really wanted to be sure that that that I could really get the right place so I had such a beautiful time because um I think there is a gift because I didn't have never in my life from when I was staring to the first job I

I never stopped so it was a new feeling but I felt just me and my life I really enjoy the countryside so I had the chance to drive in the countryside wherever I want and spending time like three hours for a breakfast spending time outside you know coffee shop with friends just chatting going to the museum just by accident because I was in front of Museum I was okay I get inside I mean I want to spend time just me and myself and I yeah I I mean I share my time but in a simple

way but very rich I think that they didn't have such a rich life like in that year and half you know because it's a it's been a moment that was just me and the the the I don't want to say simple thing because they were not simple you know it's uh I mean life is about things and uh the little things are the the the most fascinating you know because can you imagine in December staying outside in a coffee shopping room with did that little light of sun and um cup of hot cappuccino you know

looking at the facade of the building and feeling the also the season the the winter also when I was in the countryside looking at the Tre didn't have the pressure inside of me you had to work work work yes I love my work but it was a lot it's been an amazing time did you discover things about yourself what you having worked for so many years non-stop 20 more 20 plus years when you stopped for the first time is it did you have any learnings about yourself or discoveries that you said ah I think that

I really discovered that the kid is still with me I'm a kid I'm not a boy I'm I'm not a man I'm a I'm a kid in a maybe I'm not sure in the body of a man so I was so happy to find again that kid that Spirit yeah that spirit I was like how could you be so happy every day I don't know I mean I think there is a gift really but I discover again I found the kid sleeping with me eating with me I was with that kid you know and um

I felt myself in in the safe side of the of the street I thought thought okay I'm with the kid I'm not alone he's here with me so he can enjoy it with me everything I mean and that's that's been the real discover I mean I felt that the kid was me with me but when I I started to be alone and I and I was trying to understand what was without working so crazy I thought that I was in such a good you know I had such an amazing companion and and um partner in

crime and we had so much fun together for enough yes I found him you know my my executive coach she sometimes asks me to think about my younger self and give advice to my younger self and like think about him yeah it sounds like you were spending a lot of time just engaging with that younger version of you that's still there that you stay true to that's so true I didn't I mean I don't know if sometimes I'm I'm not sure if we are together or it's just me that I that I'm also scared that

people could understand that I'm a kid yeah sometimes when you talk with people that are maybe same age maybe older than you I look at them like oh they're going to feel it that I'm a kid they're going to get it immediately and I don't feel guilty I just feel I mean there are times that I'm feel uncomfortable but in the last years I got information that uh I can be a kid it's not that bad it's amazing you know or I can be I usually say that I'm I'm I'm a I'm I'm like w

you know wild fox I feel also like a wild animal you know that's a good feeling you know it's uh I think there is a feeling of freedom because I I have this fear that is not be free so your your fear is to lose your freedom yeah exactly so I mean that's bad yeah why is why is that your greatest fear I don't know maybe because I really fight for this freedom from the very beginning of my life and people they don't like I mean people don't like that freedom you know they they feel

more in control where you are not free and uh so it's not easy you know it's um keeping alive your freedom and sometimes I'm also trying to investigate are you really free because I don't want to waste my time I mean I I have just this life and I really enjoy I like this life I mean and um I want to be sure that I'm kind of free when you in this period of reflection and thinking about Freedom did you ever think that you might just never go back to fashion like was there there was

there a moment where you thought that fashion and all of the success and fame and attention had taken away some of that freedom and that you wouldn't you didn't want to go back yes the very beginning I thought now I'm maybe have more freedom I'm going to get more freedom but it was not true because I didn't really stop with this attention that I had from the outside yes I mean it's a state of mind being free but I think that it's you free when you are you can do what you feel that you need

to do you can be free working also you know you can be free I mean it's not because you're are kind of popular or famous that you are not free I mean it depends the way that you talk with the state of mind that you I I didn't have really the convers open conversation with this popularity you know it's been more about what you really feel you know for the first year it's been hard because maybe the spot was bigger in a way what do you mean mean the people were curious because you were not

anymore on the stage so they were like what he's doing yeah there was speculation yeah so was maybe sometimes more strange because I was like what do they want to know I mean I'm just you know doing nothing taking a break yeah taking a break and so I in the beginning I was like pretty no I don't want to say oppressed but I was surrounded sometimes from Paparazzi and people they didn't happen really in the the past I mean less so almost because you weren't in a public job and everyone was knew what you were

doing it almost made it harder yeah because I was like the one that was walking in the street like I didn't care I mean I don't care the way that I go out but they were like always doing you know comment speculation and things and I think that it didn't change as I thought honestly because I lived and the job because I didn't did I was not on the stage because I was thinking to do something new because maybe I was not maybe yes maybe I'm with him with her walking in the street that's this

is a friend he's a friend friend of him I mean that's that crazy word of being popular but if you ignore in a sweet way you know because I know that people are curious I think that you can have your freedom but I mean I would say again I mean you can be free be in the right place working like I'm feeling now working with many people that I like I feel free I'm working also I mean my CEO is a person that I really respect yakobo and he's a friend a person that I really

respect very talented that's why also I feel free so talk to us about how you decided to come here cuz you had many conversations there were lots of other things there was some lvmh conversations there was some uh you know other things that you were looking at you why did this Valentino opportunity bring you that sense of Freedom that you were looking for because you know I mean if I really followed my instinct I had many conversations like you can imagine and um many interesting conversation I met some many nice people they were very they

really wouldn't I think to work with me and maybe maybe in the future I don't know I mean you know but you must choose something and I just try to feel yes again my stomach and I like at the very end but very very very end of many decision these jobs came out and um I thought that Valentino is a such a fascinating place you know full of life the life was someone else that I invented this place you know and this home and as you know I love life and love I love to spy

other lives and to work on founding you know the past of other people and um when I had this conversation with yakobo and I was thinking I like the brand it's the one I mean that I can really do a good job I mean there were a few elements that were really working with me what were those elements a kind of Dusty Chic Italian crazy quirky and um dreamy brand that has the name of a man that uh came from this incredible story of outu was completely different from Gucci so I I love to to

deal with different challenge you know that's the things that I really loved about this place you know full of life and stories and about his life and um and the unbelievable word of out and uh the beautiful things and uh friends of him bodies relicks of the past and uh and I was thinking doing now could be so interesting but the other things was yakobo I mean I spoke also with Rashid that there is a such an elegant and nice person very interesting person we had so many conversation and yakob when you like yourself and

you want something good for you you need to respect and to love the people that are going to work with you yes I'm I was loving to the idea to go back with yakobo that we work together in Gucci for I think five years I'm not sure I'm really bad with times so that sounds right to me what what was what is it about CU it's Dream works you know the idea of the relationship between the CEO and the designer is so important in fashion yeah totally why why do things work so well between you

and yakobo or what is it that makes it so magical I think that yakob understands so many things he has a big Instinct he's the only CEO that really understands and likes fashion in you can really feel it that is getting the information when you talk with him he has this this sensibility it's very rare I think there is one of the only one that have this you know peculiar thing and uh the other thing is that we had so much fun together we laugh a lot we work so hard but it's like to being

with someone that you really likes that you would love also to go out for a nice dinner and can you imagine that you can work with this person that's the best so he's so precise he's so accurate you know he let me do the right things we usually work together I share with you things he shared things with me so it's it's a very concrete but also dreamy thing you know we like to enjoy the things that we do and I I can't wait to show him what I'm doing it's amazing it's like when you

have a yeah a real how can I say I mean yes easy maybe um kind of a friend you know yeah because that's not we say job but it's very complicated you know to let this word like hug with just one hug the entire meaning of this life it's not really a job it's a big thing you need to make it real you know so have the chance to to have a real person that you can have a real relation you know with him it's really it's the best it started to become not just a

job but a dream Place uh yeah it's it's a it's hard also because I'm I ask to myself a lot when I'm working and ask questions of yourself yeah of your of myself of the things that I'm doing I want to I work so hard I fight with myself a lot and I'm obsessed with the things that I'm doing until till the end I mean and I think yob is is the same so we try to make it easy and fun it sounds like you also have a foundation of trust which is essential I think

so yeah right because a real friend is someone you can trust and that means thinking an industry or a business like fashion to be successful you also need to take risks yeah so many but it's hard to take risks with someone if you don't yeah trust them you know you guys have that foundational basis upon which to take those risks together yeah that's so true I mean you are taking beautiful risks but they they are risks especially I'm the one that like risks and challenge you know and I know that also this job could be

a risk for me but risk means life you said beautiful risks yeah they're beautiful because it's uh it means that you are doing new things that you're doing things that you don't know that you have to put a piece of you or your brain inside new things and you fight to understand the way that you can manage this new thing imagine a new movie for me so yes it's a risk because it's like that you are front of nothing at the beginning and but it's my job to create a bridge to start to put you

know the first brick to make a new bridge and it's like that you going at the beginning it's like maybe you don't know where you're going or you know well but you can really tell everything about to yourself because otherwise it's going to be so boring so you try to build step by step this new thing but it's a risk you need to you need the right people but taking huge risk yeah because it's a uh for me for example coming here I didn't feel as a risk I mean people from the outside they maybe

thought there could be a risk because they think that it's very different it's it's another thing and some others they were thinking oh but it's going to be outu and he didn't do it and yes it's a risk it's another risk but uh how can you be happy without risk risks it's not possible I think and I was saying beautiful risks because doing another thing doing maybe a a Couture show is going to be such an amazing trip you know never done that before yeah never I mean I did me many things and um I've

been so accurate you know working on kind of crazy things that they some some most of the people they told me it's like that in guci you did a kind of show sometimes but I think that it's other things in the way did you work on the project you know in the very intense things that all the tailor and the people they're working on the gowns and pieces and stuffs and the relation that you have with this just one piece you know that it's very fascinating me and uh it sounds so magical I think that

is it goes in the very deep part of this job you know there is a imagination and and creating and environment and places that that they became Concrete in front of you but they after 15 M minutes they disappears you know that is so beautiful that's fashion have you and yako in the process of you know making the decision to come here have you and yako got a plan together together did you spend time together setting out a vision for what you want to do or are you taking it you're literally taking it one step

at a time Brick by Brick as you said working in the company yeah I don't know I think that we share the things in a very easy and natural way you know I think that we share a feeling I mean I think that he he likes me I likes him and U It's Like A Love Affair it's going to be easy you know you can do many things and in a very natural way every day almost talking about this decision he followed me and I followed him in different ways going on the same place but

I think that we shared and we respect each others also as friends before working together we met each other working and after when yakoo decided to change I think that we remain friends we really like each other could be also very risky again when you have you have with a doing something with a friend yeah I think that you have to be more careful it's a a a big job you know there is a lot of work you know keeping this precious thing alive so could be a risk could be a gift but for me

the important thing is the respect also when you have a relation with a partner you know if you respect the other person it's going to be for ever that's the first thing we want to make and create a very healthy house place so we are doing little steps maybe for us from the outside it's not little it's our way to see the little things you know maybe we are going fast because I can wait some time but we are trying to to do in the right way very precise and and building the the right things

because I'm thinking about this place as a unique place you know this place has such a specific story it's so unique you know what makes it unique that name Valentino it's a real name with the real life with the real love and uh he's the one that inal did and came from that Couture also when I'm working by myself with the people of the studio with yakobo there is always mesier Valentino somewhere with me it's like that I'm thinking he's going to kill me or he's goingon to probably he would love do the same maybe

not I mean there is always an open conversation with him because I can feel the things talking to me dresses stuffs WS I think that he walked here many times so you feel his presence always also when I came here the first time I came back at home and my partner vany he he asked me oh I was how do you feel and I was like unbelievable I really felt so deeply in touch with him I felt also so luy to be after him and uh I felt also that he he loved in a way

things that I loved you know in a very easy way you know enjoy life going the in the archive I saw live in the middle of you know layers of fabric and very light you know chiffon and CP the Sheen and embroidery everything was embroidered you know amazing so crazy and uh beautiful attractive I've been completely seduct you know and and I was thinking also that all these beautiful stuffs belong to people and life and conversation words thoughts love boats apartment you know shaking hands hugging people that's amazing I mean yeah I mean because probably

when I was in Gucci there isn't such an amazing place I mean I think that Gucci is the I think that piece of my heart is still there it's a story of a family and it's a story of an invention that is great you know it's a lugage good yeah and it was about bags and craftsmanship and you know and the invention of such a you know a smart family and man and uh that cross people but here I really felt that I was inside kind of in bed with Valentino you know yeah it's I

felt so strong his presence I felt also sometimes uncomfortable maybe I can touch it maybe not it's not mine you know what I mean there is a beautiful sensation because it's a gift you know you like when in front of a relique that everybody can look from the distance yeah they were like okay you can touch it and I was can I you have the privilege of it's privilege have you have you talked to him or met him yeah I met him in the past yeah several times but not now yeah yeah not now but

I'm thinking about him every day you um put out this pre-collection which was a surprise for everybody you know going back to what we were talking about earlier you know people were saying oh this this looks like Gucci yeah and you know I know in your conversation with Tim he told me um because we were T Tim and I were chatting about it he said actually you know I think when Alesandra was at Gucci he was doing Valentino at Gucci and now he can do Valentino at Valentino does that resonate with you that idea that

that conversation you had with Tim that you were always very connected to the the way Valentino kind of influenced Italian fashion yeah I think that Valentino is be been a big reference in building a a a ready to wear story from how can I say I mean Gucci has now ready to wear it's not a visual thing you can put it's a it's a empty box you can put what you want I mean Tom I mean when we get back to Tom Ira you you can say that's guci 100% because he did his vision he

puted his vision on the table and I had no DB that was guu 100% he created his movie and we were all following that movie and when I ride in the company I try to create me with that you know leather goods brand that had an hisory but we didn't had the the faces and the costumes as a costume designer so I was like me I really I think that Valentino I mean as a reference in the Italian History it's it's really big because he the one that that put that you know inside the fashion

word this Chic and quirky and very you know precise Italian shik style of that kind of era jat rich people and also his legacy stayed all I mean years and years and years he he didn't really disappear he stay on the playground from years and years so when I went back searching reference yes I mean I was looking at the one of the most powerful you know aesthetic that was in so good with the 1970s era Golden Era of Gucci yes and it was a little bit like Valentino I mean I saw million image of

that Golden Era you know because he's being the one that started I mean before other Italian Brands doing you know that job and in you know infecting everything in a way so maybe I was doing a kind of Valentino I like his aesthetic I like the the way that he went through that quirkiness you know I think that is he did so many crazy things in the 70s in the 80s every single lady Italian lady maybe not just Italian being that being influenced by his aesthetic meaning when you're thinking about something that Vis really precise

and Chic and you know kind of glamorous you know way to look you think about Valentino you know it's uh it's like music when you say the name so when I was in Gucci I mean me I like that era and I like to mix and make the mesh up of this you know very crazy way to look and uh I like to work in a contemporary away from the things of that era so yes when I came here I thought that it was sitting on a treasure so maybe that's the reality that it's what

you saw on the pre-collection it's me because I'm sorry but it's me I don't need to be someone else you know I think that a a big designer or a good designer needs to be himself change is something yes it's just the beginning you need to change a little bit because I don't want to be bored to but uh yes if you say yes I can see that is his hands working on the things and picking the things that he likes yes it's a beginning it's it's me and Valentino in a way yes I discover

you know that is so close to my sensibility I'm also curious about myself what it's going to be so you don't know I I'm the one that working is always yes I'm doing what I see because it's like that you have a vision I see but you don't know you see something because otherwise you can work you see an image you see you know that that's the color that's not the color that's the shape that's too long it's too short that's not the face that is matching with the dress she's not in the story she's

not the right daughter she's not you know because I'm working like this but you don't know what is going to happen I mean many people and friends they were like I'm so curious trying to understand what is going to be in the 29th of September what is going to be it's going to be just when it's going to be I don't know because I'm putting everything in the right place trying to make it possible but the end you don't know because it's not a movie a movie I can cut it's not a video it's going

to be like a a theatrical thing you're going to put all the ingredients inside and you it's going to be real and you can see what you did just when the first person starting to walk outside you know the backstage on the catwalk you don't know and that's the magic I think that is beautiful because it's the time that you feel that you were pregnant but now you the baby has a proper life and you can be anymore in control it's outside is going to walk by himself or her you know the other thing that's

really different this time Alexandra with this new project is before there were no expectations oh yes right you were unknown to the industry you came from the the background from the behind the scenes you put out this very bold unexpected aesthetic for Gucci you took a huge risk This Time It's Different right this time there's much more anticipation lots of people are asking you about September 29th and by the time this conversation comes out it'll be afterwards but does it feel different this time do you feel more pressure because people are asking and wondering and

speculating about what it's going to be not really no no honestly not really because it's a it's more about me and myself you know what I mean it's a it's more that I need to accomplish myself you know in a easy way I think that more you're going to be happy with what are you doing and more you're going to be happy with I mean how the expectation is going to be from the outside connected with you um maybe yes now it's the spotlight it's more it's bigger and bigger you know and especially after the

also the preall I'm happy because they they started to fight you know on social media and I was like now they did almost everything I hope that the classroom is going to be quiet and keep the attention just to enjoying instead to Crazy criticize like in that crazy way that was so fun by the way I know that everybody are waiting but I I hope that they're going to wait for something that that is going to be just um like a moment to enjoy fashion and things maybe they're not going to like what I'm doing

and what I will do and maybe they're going to go crazy or there are people but but working it's not me that I do things because people expect something no never it's going to be very hard also you know because I don't know what people they going to expect what what they want from me maybe they want me change everything you know but uh they must call someone else they must talk with not with me with another person you know it's not real if not going to feel myself in that creation and so I'm working

very disconnected with all this expectation also because I don't want to say that I don't care because it's not true I mean you care in a way that you would love to share that beauty and uh you would love also to have a open conversation in a in a good way with people they they criticize you it's my job I mean there is always something you know and um I learn to be disconnected with these kind of things yeah for the first I wanted to conclude with just a little bit of advice for everyone who's

listening and you know it's really back to this idea of you know achieving success takes getting through challenges and overcoming obstacles and dealing with unexpected situations you know for people out there who look up to you you see alesandro as this in quotation mark successfully that what what advice do you have for young creative people that want to be in tune with their creativity who want to achieve and be be themselves in this industry that's so tough but also want to be successful yeah it's a part of the way that you can be using the

word successful uh being yourself fight for the things that you believe for me the word that really translate the way that you can be happy with yourself and so from Maybe successful with you caring about your passion there is a kind of love and something that you can live without you know it's um it's a very interesting things that make everything move you know passion that it's uh something that make you work so hard that make you feel so alive and um make you fight and you know put all your energy in the things that

you're doing if you really feel it that that you have a passion for something I don't know whatever you want you have to believe and to live for this passion is such a gift to have a passion when people say I you are obsessed you know you are like crazy to do this me when you a kid and you feel that there is something that move your heart somewhere I don't know where follow follow if it's crazy follow follow the follow the Instinct you are a wild animal so let your stomach body skin talk to

you and no matter if it's going to be crazy hard impossible nothing is possible everything is possible possible also because you need to be happy and following your passion you're going to be happy I think and what do you do what do you do when things go wrong I I also talk to people about figure out what your passion is yeah and align your passion with your skills yeah and your talents and your purpose and that's the right path but even if you have all of those things along the way you're going to face really

hard times like how do you summon up the energy slash courage slash drive to keep going I mean I can feel it that sometimes I mean I met so many young people and uh I'm getting a a big kid so I remember well when I was young and I came from from the school from an envirom and there was so far working in fashion was just a dream maybe more than a dream because sometimes you can SLE go to sleep and dream something I I couldn't sometimes because was so far from my life but I

had the strength to wait also working and following as you said because sometimes Young Generation they get confused maybe going through the this new language that social media try to suggest you that you can do something a very quick way it's not quick no it's not quick it's like if you want follow your your passion it's like religion I mean a God needs your time and and it's got to be beautiful to follow that guy that God I mean it's going to be every time you're going to meet that job that passion it's it's going

to be amazing it's like a love affair I mean after years and years maybe it's going to be easy to find your place but you have to wait it's not going to be quick because sometimes they get confused they think that is that okay I work from it's three year that I'm working and nothing happened three year is nothing I mean maybe 15 20 could be a time and enjoying all so the things that you can capable to do enjoy the things that you are not doing enjoy yourself because you are not the just the

things that you did but also the things that you didn't do did you decide to you know that were not you that you maybe they went no wrong it's you and it's beautiful it's interesting so you're saying that part of the path to finding that success is knowing what is you yeah and what isn't you isn't because you are also the things that you are not doing it's like that people saying oh it's such a shame that I didn't do this no it's not a shame it's you it's just you that didn't do this things

you didn't want you didn't you became a different person because you went wrong with something or did you didn't decide to do this I think that we must care about all the things that may us the person that we are you know and in this box you have also something that went wrong that is an experience maybe you you thought there was you but it's not so I like myself also for the things that I that I did wrong that I I like it more now that I'm a big boy I like more and more

the Alexandro they did so many wrong things it's so sweet a big boy who still a kid and he still trusts his Instinct um thank you so much for sharing so many vulnerable stories and advice because I think you know we really need it right now you and I were just talking about how challenging the world is and how challenging the industry is so I'm really grateful that you uh been so open thank you ibram it's always a pleasure nice conversation thank you thank you thank you so much