It was a breakfast where nobody ate anything. The pineapple skewers and raspberry financiers remained untouched on the large table in Kering's meeting room. At 9 am on Wednesday, March 12, the luxury group gathered 10 international journalists at its Paris premises on Rue de Sèvres for an important announcement: to reveal the name of Gucci's new artistic director. Since the sudden departure of Sabato de Sarno on February 6, the Kering locomotive on which the group's financial health depended no longer had a driver.

Around the table, even though Stefano Cantino (Gucci's CEO) and Francesca Bellettini (Kering's deputy CEO) played their smiling, relaxed executive roles very well, there was tension in the air. Journalists were asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement that lasted until the following evening, and by this stage they were trying to guess which designer would justify such precautions. To the point of forgetting to touch the food or drink their coffee.

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