Wednesday afternoon Gucci’s Creative Director, 49 year old Alessandro Michele announced his departure from the company. Alessandro took over Creative Director duties in 2015 and ushered in a new era of the house as he delivered collections that not only blurred the line between high fashion and “streetwear” but also demanded thought provoking conversation around gender, sexual identity and race. Francois-Henri Pinault, Kering chairman and chief executive said in a press release regarding the matter “the road that Gucci and Alessandro walked together over the years is unique and will remain an outstanding moment in the history of the house.” Check out Alessandro’s instagram post announcing the departure below.