Sabato de Sarno Exits Gucci

Sabato de Sarno is leaving Gucci two years after being named the Italian mega-brand’s creative director. Gucci’s Feb. 25 runway show will be designed by its design studio, the brand said Thursday.

Previously Valentino’s design director under Pierpaolo Piccioli, De Sarno joined Gucci in 2023 with a mandate to emphasise the brand’s more universal, iconic qualities. A period of booming sales under predecessor Alessandro Michele’s maximalist, nostalgic aesthetic had sputtered during the pandemic, leading to several years of stagnant sales.

De Sarno debuted a more restrained, sartorial aesthetic pairing sharp tailored pieces with skin-baring, youthful styling.

While effective as a palate cleanser, the brand’s new direction was short on conversational elements that could help to reinvigorate fashion buzz and store traffic.

Efforts to build traction around De Sarno’s vision were stymied by a broad slowdown in luxury demand, with more accessible, fashion-driven luxury brands like Gucci being hit harder than most.

The brand has sought to wean its dependence on travel retail, outlets and entry-level merch like sneakers, hoodies and mini-bags, but hasn’t been able to reinforce its trade with more resilient wealthy shoppers fast enough to offset the decline in other parts of its business.

Gucci reported nine-month sales down 21 percent in 2024. Owner Kering reports annual results Feb. 11.

Stay tuned to BoF for updates on this developing story.