Meet Harry Styles' new muse, Gucci's Alessandro Michele

HARRY STYLES AT THE AMAS, AND ALESSANDRO MICHELE AT THE BRITISH FASHION AWARDSCREDIT: REX

lessandro Michele’s rise to fashion superstardom has been swift and meteoric. This time last year he was the unknown right-hand-man to Gucci’s former creative director Frida Giannini, working away without so much as a hint of public praise.

But that all changed in January when Giannini made an unexpectedly swift exit from the fashion house and he was asked to step up to the plate and bring the then-failing Gucci back to its best, beating off stiff competition from numerous big-name designers who had been slated to take the post. In a matter of months he had transformed Gucci from a so-so luxury house into the hottest brand of the moment, creating cult-status products (those fur-lined mules) and winning legions of new fans with his strong Seventies lilted sense of fun, from Alexa Chung to Dakota Johnson and Gwyneth Paltrow. Last night he won the International Designer of the Year Award at the British Fashion Awards.

Harry with his more discreetly dressed One Direction band mates CREDIT: REX

But it seems it’s not just the world’s most-photographed female fashion plates that have been lured by his designs – there’s one particular man who seems to have taken not just to Michele’s designs but also his personal style; Harry Styles.

Styles swapped his black Gucci floral garden for a yellow one later on at the AMAs CREDIT: REX

The One Direction heartthrob, 21, turned up at Sunday night’s American Music Awards in an eye-catching custom-made floral Gucci suit, complete with flared trousers and a natty floral garland in place of a tie. His individuality was highlighted by the fact that his three bandmates had plumped for rather run-of-the-mill grey, navy and black suits, leaving Styles looking a little like he’d been duped into believing the dress code was fancy dress - a bit like when Bridget Jones turns up at a Tarts and Vicars party in a Playboy bunny outfit. We feel your pain, Harry.

Nevertheless, Styles stood tall - not that it stopped the internet from mercilessly comparing him to an Ikea bed sheet…

The suit was compared to this Ikea bedding set CREDIT: REX

His new look – he normally opts for super-skinny trousers and a Saint Laurent-style undone, rock star vibe – may have seemed a little out of character, until you consider this: he’s totally stealing Alessandro’s style…

Gucci's Alessandro Michele at last night's British Fashion AwardsCREDIT: REX

A bold move but if anyone can pull it off, it's Styles. You wear that floral suit with pride, Harry. We can smell a campaign coming.

In June Styles wore a Gucci floral-print shirt CREDIT: REX

He wore a patterned gucci suit in September CREDIT: REX