French luxury goods group Kering SA on Saturday said it appointed Sabato De Sarno, a senior fashion designer at Valentino SpA, as creative director of Gucci, its top brand.
De Sarno has been tasked with reviving the fortunes of a brand that accounted for two-thirds of Kering’s profits in 2021, but has been losing momentum after stellar growth from 2015 to 2019.
De Sarno, 39, began his career at Prada SpA in 2005, before moving to Dolce & Gabbana SpA and then joining Valentino in 2009, where he held several positions before being appointed fashion director, overseeing men’s and women’s collections, and working closely with chief designer Pierpaolo Piccioli.
Photo: Reuters
“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,” De Sarno said in a statement. “I am touched and excited to contribute my creative vision for the brand.”
He is set to present his debut Gucci runway collection at Milan Women’s Fashion Week in September.
Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri said that having worked with a number of Italy’s most renowned luxury fashion houses, De Sarno “brings with him a vast and relevant experience.”
Gucci had been under pressure to quickly appoint someone to one of the top jobs in fashion after the abrupt departure in November of previous creative director Alessandro Michele, known for his flamboyant and gender-fluid styles, and a favorite of singers Harry Styles and Lady Gaga.
He had been in the job for seven years, but left following tensions with Kering’s top management, sources told Reuters.
Alongside Bizzarri, he had overseen a period of soaring growth at Gucci in the five years prior to 2020, with profits increasing nearly fourfold to just under 10 billion euros (US$10.87 billion) and revenue almost tripling.
However, Gucci in recent quarters had begun to lag rivals including Hermes International SCA and LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, with its performance in the key Chinese market becoming a source of concern for investors amid COVID-19 lockdowns.
Kering is due to publish full-year results on Feb. 15.
Investors are certain to be keen to hear how the business fared after Beijing lifted its COVID-19 restrictions last month, leading to a large spread of the virus along with disruption to business across the country.
LVMH and others have said sales recovered slightly in the lead-up to the Lunar New Year holiday.
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