Alessandro Michele is an Italian fashion designer and creative director of Valentino. He grew to international recognition as the creative director of Gucci, the Italian fashion luxury house where he worked from 2002 to 2022. Known for his maximalist designs, Alessandro Michele revived Gucci's popularity, most notably with a Geek-Chic aesthetic. He had been responsible for all of Gucci's collections and global brand image from January 2015 until he stepped down from the role in November 2022.

Valentino S.p.A. is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1960 by Valentino Garavani and part of the Valentino Fashion Group. From October 2008, the creative director is Pierpaolo Piccioli, jointly with Maria Grazia Chiuri from 2008 to 2016. Piccioli departed Valentino in 2024. The company is headquartered in Milan, while the creative direction is in Rome. The Valentino Beauty license is held by L'Oreal.