Could Alessandro Michele Already Have a New Job?

Bidayat, an investment group, is set to revive luxury Italian brand Walter Albini.

Ever since Alessandro Michele and Gucci parted ways, the fashion world began to speculate as to his next move. Would he start his own label? Maybe put on a coordinating Choupette suit with Jared Leto and start filming TikToks? Well, there’s no definitive answer yet but there’s a strong suspicion that Michele might be headed to revive the late Italian brand Walter Abini. Bidayat, a Swiss based investment group, bought the intellectual property as well as a majority of the archives of the brand.

Albini’s career spanned the mid 60’s to the early 80’s, and was best known as one of founding forces behind the ‘Made in Italy’ initiative. Rising to fame during the same time as Gianni Versace and Giorgio Armani, the trio served as the foundation for what is now known as Milan Fashion Week. Known for his androgynous tailoring, vintage references, and graphic prints, Albini’s career was cut short when he died in 1983 at the age of 42. But his impact is evident in Michele’s work — Michele even name-checked Albini as being “on his mind” when he was developing his fall 2016 menswear collection.

The bulk of the acquisition came from one person in particular, Dr. Barbara Curti, whose mother Marisa Curti was a supporter of Albini from the early years. Featuring over 1,500 garments, the archive has Albini’s famous flag print as well as fluid jersey dresses and even a bridal gown. Also in the collection are original buttons, costume jewelry, and nearly 7,500 drawings as well as photographs. 

Bidayat’s announcement last week doesn’t give much hints in the way of who will be taking over the brand but it did indicate that their intent is to do the revival justice. “We are honored [to have] unearthed this hidden jewel of Italian high fashion and are currently studying Walter Albini’s vast heritage to set the foundations for the future of the eponymous brand. Our challenge will be finding the right caliber of leadership team to bring alive our vision and ambition,” said Bidayat Founder and Chairman Rachid Mohamad Rachid via press release. If there’s anyone who can bring a vision alive with plenty of ambition, it’d be Michele, so it’ll be interesting to see if and when that announcement comes.