Gucci's New Creative Director Is Not Tom Ford

There has been a lot of chatter and speculation surrounding who Gucci's next head of design might be, but we finally have an answer! Sorry, folks, but it's not Tom Ford. On Wednesday, the brand announced that 42-year-old Alessandro Michele would be Gucci's next creative director and the news came as a shock. With competition like Ford, Riccardo Tisci, and Joseph Altuzarra, it's no wonder we didn't see Michele coming.

Michele has been with Gucci since 2002 when Tom Ford first brought him on. Until recently, he served as the associate to his predecessor Frida Giannini, who recently resigned. Michele taking Giannini's place seems like a natural next step.

Of course, Vogue reported just last month that 90s fans would be enthused if Tom Ford came back on as the creative director, a position he held from 1994 - 2002. But the new Gucci CEO, Marco Bizzarri, said the choice was carefully thought over.

Alessandro’s talent and his knowledge of the company and the design teams in place will for sure allow him to move quickly and seamlessly in implementing his new creative direction for the collections and the brand.

Michele's made his debut as CD of Gucci last week in Milan, where he put on a fashion show that he'd prepared in just five days. And he pulled it off effortlessly, proving that underdogs can succeed from time-to-time. Personally, I just hope we see more of Michele's amazing grunge style appear on Gucci's always-sleek runway.