A Look Back at Alessandro Michele’s “Sex Ed” With Gucci and Liz Goldwyn

As news breaks of Alessandro Michele's appointment as Valentino's creative director, we take a look back at the designer's sex-positive discussion with The Sex Ed host, Liz Goldwyn. 

Launched in collaboration with Gucci, Episode 1 of Season 3 explored sexuality, masculinity and femininity. According to Gucci's then-creative-director Michele, "Sex is everywhere. I mean, I think that the idea of orgasm, of sex, is everywhere. It's a beautiful thing, a beautiful sensation is an orgasm. I mean, it's the meaning of the word. We use just such in a specific way."

For him, orgasmic experiences are in everyday moments like witnessing a painting for the first time or chasing sunsets. Where society has added such "phobic" or negative connotations to sex and the enveloping feeling of an orgasmic experience, these moments are actually closest to God, he says. That was, before adding that he's finding time to have sex everyday.

"The idea of sex is the idea of God. The idea of sex is the idea of energy. It’s the idea of being in touch with the things that make me feel alive."

Known for tackling notions such as toxic masculinity, Michele also dove into a discussion on how "confining" masculinity can be. Specifically questioning what would happen "if a man forgot everything that he learned from his mom," and "from society." Michele believes these scripts only pull us further from our true selves, disallowing a "conversation with his [their] femininity." When in all reality, being in tune with one's femininity is one of the most attractive things one can do.

"When you find a man that feels comfortable with his femininity he's such good with the other women because he really can find himself, a piece of himself," Michele continued. "He approaches to the women as he's approaching in a delicate way, in a beautiful way, strong way as he approaches to himself because when I look at women I can look at myself. I don't feel that you are so different from me."

This all-encompassing and boundary-defying understanding is exactly what made Michele's time at Gucci so impactful. As the creative director transitions into his new role at Valentino, one can only wonder what his take on the namesake label shall be. Stay tuned for his Spring 2025 debut at Paris Fashion Week.

In other news, Mia Khalifa, fashion's new It girl, offers a masterclass in sex appeal.

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