The end seemed near, but the timing was surprising. Nineteen days before the next Gucci show, which takes place at Milan Fashion Week on February 25, the Florence-based brand announced that it was parting company with its creative director, Sabato de Sarno. This kind of announcement is usually made after a final show, to give the designer time to say farewell. And it's also quite rare to be let go before having had the time to complete three years of a contract.
The 41-year-old Italian took up his post at Gucci in spring 2023, presenting his first collection in September of that year. Restrained to the point of emptiness, it proved rather disappointing, but first attempts are rarely successful. Subsequent shows, however, failed to make up for this lack of character, this impression that de Sarno was using the house's hallmarks (the double G logo, the floral print, the horse bits, etc.) without really putting his own stamp on them. Against a backdrop of slowing growth in luxury goods, Gucci posted poor results: By July 2024, sales had fallen by 18% compared to the first half of 2023. And its operating profitability had collapsed by almost half.
In de Sarno's defense, it has to be said that the task was immense and that the Naples-born director was undoubtedly unprepared for it. Gucci is Kering's biggest brand, on which the group's financial health depends: By 2022, when luxury growth was still boosted by the Chinese market, its annual sales exceeded €10 billion. Gucci's creative director therefore has a strong imperative for commercial success. What's more, like Louis Vuitton, the brand is aimed at a broad public, not a niche of super-rich customers. In this sense, it's a more difficult label to steer than, say, Bottega Veneta or McQueen, also part of Kering.
Before Gucci, de Sarno had never proven himself as a creative director. He worked for 14 years at Valentino, as designer Pierpaolo Piccioli's right-hand man. As second-in-command, he enjoyed an excellent reputation. This was undoubtedly what attracted Kering to recruit him. His predecessor at Gucci, Alessandro Michele, was also a second-in-command. When he took over at Gucci, the creative director originally from Rome demonstrated astounding mastery and talent, bringing the brand back to the luster of the Tom Ford years. Taking over from Michele didn't make de Sarno's task any easier.
Since 2023, Gucci's creative direction has not been the only area of change: CEO Marco Bizzarri was succeeded by Jean-François Palus, who was replaced in October 2024 by Stefano Cantino, a former Louis Vuitton employee. Marketing and communications directors came and went. Today, the management teams seem to have stabilized, and de Sarno's departure no doubt reflects Cantino's new strategy.
Who could put Gucci back on track? The question fuels much speculation. After betting on an unknown, it's plausible that Gucci is looking to bring in a big name. Hedi Slimane, who has left Celine (LVMH), was at one time considered, but this option seems to have been ruled out. The name of Maria Grazia Chiuri, currently at Dior Women (LVMH), comes up frequently. As does Piccioli, who has not taken up a new post since leaving Valentino. But Kering could also be true to its habit of choosing unexpected candidates. Given the urgent need to revitalize the brand, the decision shouldn't be too long in coming.
The next Gucci show in Milan will not be under de Sarno's name, but that of the studio, as will the cruise line to be presented on May 15 in Florence, where the house was born and where it exhibits its archives. Pending the arrival of a new director, going back to its roots seems a wise option.
Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version.