If recent pics are anything to go by, Pierpaolo Piccioli has been listening to a lot of Megan Thee Stallion since he has more time on his hands. In “Freak Nasty”, Megan let us know that she loves to “run through your man’s house like the Tomb Raider”, and the ex-Valentino boss has taken that literally, doing the same thing to a Gucci store in Rome. Piccioli was snapped on the streets carrying fistfuls of Ancora red shopping bags after his dash and grab spree, papped outside the store with his wife Simona. In the video, the couple can be seen walking their dog Miranda, chatting to friends and generally making a nice old day of it.

Though this may look like a man and his wife indulging in a little retail therapy, nothing is as simple as it seems in the world of fashion. If that is in fact true, then what does this very public shopping spree actually mean then? Well, we all know that the current Gucci boss Sabato de Sarno was Piccioli’s right hand man when they were both at Valentino, so it looks like de Sarno’s former boss is making a public show of affection as the designer settles in at Gucci. De Sarno is only two seasons in and just hitting his stride, so it would make sense that Piccioli would get behind him in this very obvious way.

What complicates matters slightly is Piccioli’s recent departure from Valentino. Soon after the designer’s shock exit was announced, the Italian label announced that Alessandro Michele would be replacing him at Valentino. And Michele was, of course, creative director of Gucci for nine years. And, to top that all off, Gucci is owned by parent company Kering, who also have a 30 per cent stake in Valentino. Still following? No, us neither.

Basically, what this simple trip to the Gucci store illustrates is the oftentimes tangled and messy web of luxury fashion musical chairs. Is Pierpaolo’s public support of Gucci an ironic reference to his replacement at Valentino? Or is he simply showing support to De Sarno’s Gucci? Or a third secret option that none of us know about yet? Well, I guess we won’t really know until Piccioli himself weighs in. Care to give us your thoughts, Pierpaolo?