Sabato De Sarno leaves Gucci after two years as artistic director
Sabato De Sarno leaves Gucci after just two years as creative director, following disappointing results and declining performance for the house.
Gucci announced on Thursday the departure of Sabato De Sarno , who had been the house's creative director since 2023. Starting with the presentation of the fall-winter 2025-26 show during Milan Fashion Week on February 25, the presentation of the collections will be handled by the Gucci design studio.
Stefano Cantino, appointed CEO of Gucci in October 2024, expressed his gratitude to Sabato De Sarno : "I would like to express my deep appreciation to Sabato for his passion and dedication to Gucci. I would like to salute the commitment with which he has honored the craftsmanship and heritage of Gucci," he said in a statement.
Sabato De Sarno was hired to replace Alessandro Michele , who left Gucci in November 2022 after seven years together. His appointment was a risky move, as he was not used to the spotlight. A graduate of Milan's Istituto Secoli, he had previously served as fashion director at Valentino, overseeing the men's and women's collections. Before that, he worked at Dolce & Gabbana and Prada.
His arrival at Gucci was intended to reinvigorate the house, which had struggled to keep up with its competitors in terms of sales growth. "I want people to fall in love with Gucci again," he told Vogue Runway and Vogue Business before his first show, which presented a pared-down vision of the house, a departure from the Alessandro Michele era.
However, despite expectations of a turnaround, Gucci 's performance has continued to deteriorate. The brand has been heavily impacted by the slowdown in the luxury market, with sales falling 25% to €1.64 billion in the third quarter of 2024, weighing heavily on its owner, Kering . This followed a 19% decline in the second quarter and an 18% decline in the first quarter. Financial results for the fourth quarter and the full year will be announced on February 11.
A new creative director will be appointed in the coming months. "I would like to sincerely thank Sabato for his loyalty and professionalism. I am proud of the work he has done to strengthen Gucci's fundamentals. Stefano and the new creative leadership will continue to build on this and guide Gucci towards renewed fashion leadership and sustainable growth," commented Francesca Bellettini, Deputy CEO of Kering .
