Gucci announces departure of creative director De Sarno just weeks before next Milan runway show Gucci announced on Thursday that its creative director of under two years, Sabato De Sarno, has left the position just two and a half weeks before the next runway show, and that the new collection would be created by the design team.
De Sarno, 42, was named creative director of the storied Italian fashion house two years ago after the surprise departure of Alessandro Michele, who powered brand sales and owner Kering’s earnings with gender-fluid, eclectic and romantic collections that rewrote Gucci’s codes.
Gucci’s new CEO, Stefano Cantino, expressed gratitude for De Sarno’s focus on “Gucci’s craftsmanship and heritage,” while Kering deputy CEO Francesca Bellettini said he had “further strengthened Gucci’s fundamentals.”.
The new collection, headed by Michele as part of the Gucci team, was put together in a scant five days, and featured the then-dramatic pussy bow blouse for men as the new eclectic vision for Gucci took focus.
Gucci’s heritage as a luggage and leathergoods maker founded more than 100 years ago in Florence has given successive creative directors the potential for great leeway to interpret the brand’s codes — starting with Tom Ford’s sexy silhouettes of the 1990s.
