In a surprising start to New York Fashion Week, the latest round of creative director musical chairs comes straight from Milan: Sabato De Sarno is exiting Gucci after two years with the Italian luxury house.
As Fashionista reports, Kering made the announcement on February 6. Gucci’s Fall 2025 runway show slated for Feb. 25 during Milan Fashion Week will proceed, presented by the Gucci design office. “I would like to express my deep gratitude to Sabato for his passion and dedication to Gucci,” Gucci’s CEO Stefano Cantino said in a statement. “I sincerely appreciate how he honored Gucci’s craftsmanship and heritage with such commitment.”
De Sarno succeeded Alessandro Michele (who now helms Valentino) for Gucci’s top creative position in 2023. Before joining Gucci, the Italian designer previously spent more than a decade at Valentino, where he eventually became its fashion director for men’s and women’s ready-to-wear. De Sarno also previously held design positions at Prada and Dolce & Gabbana.
Following Michele’s successful stint at Gucci, all eyes were on De Sarno’s Spring 2024 debut. The new creative director took a departure from Michele’s maximalism, instead presenting sleek silhouettes (and an affinity for a deep red hue). It didn’t seem to translate to sales, though, and 2024 held significant financial struggles for Gucci’s parent company Kering, which also houses Bottega Veneta and Saint Laurent. In the company’s first-half results of 2024, group revenue was down 11% and net profit was down by a staggering 50%.
De Sarno’s successor at Gucci has not yet been named, it is rumored that Hedi Slimane – who exited Celine in October of 2024 – may possibly assume the role. De Sarno’s Gucci exit follows other top designers who have recently stepped back from major creative positions, including Kim Jones, John Galliano as well as Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. De Sarno has yet to reveal his next steps.
“I sincerely thank Sabato for his loyalty and professionalism,” Francesca Bellettini, Kering Deputy CEO in charge of Brand Development, said in a statement. “I am proud of the work that has been done to further strengthen Gucci’s fundamentals. Stefano and the new Artistic Direction will continue to build on this and to guide Gucci towards renewed fashion leadership and sustainable growth.”
On Thursday, De Sarno posted a farewell message to his Instagram followers in both Italian and English: “Any important project relies on the passion, the intelligence and heart of extraordinary people. To them I say: always look out for your joy. It is the true measure of whether you are true to yourself, whatever the opportunity, whatever the challenge. A thank you would not be enough maybe. But today my joy is for you.”
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