<p>The Italian designer Alessandro Michele is set to leave Gucci, where he has overseen a surge in sales at the fashion powerhouse since 2015 but has seen his star fade in recent seasons, according to a report in industry bible Women's Wear Daily on Wednesday.</p>.<p>Citing "well-placed sources," the magazine said Michele was quitting after being asked to orchestrate a creative revamp to restore the brand's luster.</p>.<p>The French conglomerate Kering, which owns the Italian house, declined to comment when contacted by AFP.</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 to just two from five, 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 <em>House of Gucci</em> film with Lady Gaga and a host of Hollywood A-listers.</p>.<p>But enthusiasm has 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>"Gucci is suffering from brand fatigue and Alessandro Michele has been doing the same thing for the past seven years," financial analysts at the brokerage firm Bernstein said in a research note to clients.</p>.<p>"Institutional investors appear to agree that a new approach is needed to relaunch the brand," added analysts at the Royal Bank of Canada.</p>
<p>The Italian designer Alessandro Michele is set to leave Gucci, where he has overseen a surge in sales at the fashion powerhouse since 2015 but has seen his star fade in recent seasons, according to a report in industry bible Women's Wear Daily on Wednesday.</p>.<p>Citing "well-placed sources," the magazine said Michele was quitting after being asked to orchestrate a creative revamp to restore the brand's luster.</p>.<p>The French conglomerate Kering, which owns the Italian house, declined to comment when contacted by AFP.</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 to just two from five, 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 <em>House of Gucci</em> film with Lady Gaga and a host of Hollywood A-listers.</p>.<p>But enthusiasm has 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>"Gucci is suffering from brand fatigue and Alessandro Michele has been doing the same thing for the past seven years," financial analysts at the brokerage firm Bernstein said in a research note to clients.</p>.<p>"Institutional investors appear to agree that a new approach is needed to relaunch the brand," added analysts at the Royal Bank of Canada.</p>