Ciao Gucci - Sabato De Sarno leaves Gucci after 2 years of creative leadership

Sabato De Sarno will leave Gucci just two years after being appointed creative director. The brand announced on Thursday that its Milan Fashion Week runway show in February 2025 will be designed by its in-house team.

Before joining Gucci in 2023, De Sarno was design director at Valentino under Pierpaolo Piccioli. After joining Gucci, his mission was to highlight Gucci’s timeless, universal appeal, following a highly influential era under Alessandro Michele. Michele, who is now the creative director of Valentino, transformed Gucci with a bold, nostalgic aesthetic that made it a somewhat cultural phenomenon. He left behind a legacy of iconic pieces: the Princetown loafers, floral and animal-print suits, the double-G logo belt, Ace sneakers, and crystal-embellished accessories - that continued to shape the brand long after his departure in 2022.

De Sarno took a different approach, embracing a more refined, minimal style with sharp tailoring and youthful, skin-baring elements. However, his vision struggled to generate the same excitement, and Gucci failed to regain its momentum, likely due to shifting consumer tastes that the brand couldn’t fully capture.

As Kering’s biggest and most profitable brand, alongside brands such as Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, and Saint Laurent, Gucci’s recent struggles have also impacted the group’s overall financial performance, especially after sales took a sharp downturn in 2024.

Speculation is already growing over who will step in next. Could it be Marc Jacobs, Maria Grazia Chiuri, or Hedi Slimane? Whoever takes over will need a strong vision to bring Gucci back to its former success. Reviving the brand seems to be a top priority now.