Just two months after Alessandro Michele left the job he held for seven years (after working at the brand for two decades), Gucci has a new creative director.
On Jan. 28 — a Saturday — Kering announced it had hired Sabato De Sarno, a Valentino alum, to take over Gucci. (Could the weekend news drop have been a pun on the designer’s name? Which means “Saturday” in Italian? Get it? Haha.) He’s tasked with leading the brand’s design studio across categories: women’s, men’s, leather goods, accessories and lifestyle. He’ll report to President and CEO Marco Bizzarri.
“I am delighted that Sabato will join Gucci as the house’s new Creative Director, one of the most influential roles in the luxury industry,” Bizzarri said, in a statement. “Having worked with a number of Italy’s most renowned luxury fashion houses, he brings with him a vast and relevant experience. I am certain that through Sabato’s deep understanding and appreciation for Gucci’s unique legacy, he will lead our creative teams with a distinctive vision that will help write this exciting next chapter, reinforcing the house’s fashion authority while capitalizing on its rich heritage.”
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For his part, De Sarno shared the news on Instagram, writing: “I’m proud, honored, touched and excited. In a statement, he said, “I am proud to join a house with such an extraordinary history and heritage, that over the years has been able to welcome and cherish values I believe in. I am touched and excited to contribute my creative vision for the brand.”
De Sarno spent the last 13 years at Valentino (and was at Dolce & Gabbana before that), most recently working as the Fashion Director for men’s and women’s ready-to-wear.
He’ll present his debut runway collection for Gucci at Milan Fashion Week in September. Like the first post-Alessandro Michele menswear collection from January, the brand’s upcoming Fall 2023 ready-to-wear presentation in February will be designed by the design team.
Will De Sarno continue the Gucci-est Gucci that Michele left behind, or will he forge a new path for the luxury label?
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India Roby
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