Gucci Names Sabato De Sarno as New Creative Director

Gucci has appointed Sabato De Sarno as its new creative director, in a bid to revitalize the brand after a period of slower growth. De Sarno is a well-known name in the fashion industry, and his appointment is seen as a way to bring fresh ideas to Gucci. The brand is hoping that De Sarno will help them to recapture some of the momentum they have lost in recent years.

Mr. De Sarno, 39 years old, began his career at Prada SpA. He then worked for Dolce & Gabbana Srl before joining Valentino SpA in 2009. At Valentino, he held positions of increasing responsibility, including fashion director overseeing both men’s and women’s collections.

Mr. De Sarno has extensive experience working with some of Italy's most prestigious luxury fashion brands, according to Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri. This makes him uniquely qualified to take on this new role.

Mr. De Sarno will be heading up Gucci's design studio and will be in charge of the women's, men's, leather goods, accessories, and lifestyle collections. His debut runway collection will be shown at Milan Women's Fashion Week in September.

Mr. De Sarno will need to invigorate the brand after it has seen slower growth in recent years under its former creative director.

Gucci has seen tremendous success in recent years under the creative leadership of Alessandro Michele. Michele's instantly recognizable style, featuring pop-culture logos, has been praised by critics and embraced by younger shoppers around the world. Sales have more than doubled during Michele's first four years in charge.

More recently, Gucci’s sales growth has lagged behind some major rivals such as Louis Vuitton and Dior, both owned by luxury juggernaut LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE. Those brands have tended to appeal more to older, wealthier consumers who seek out products that are unlikely to go out of style. That trend was exacerbated by the pandemic because of Gucci’s heavy reliance on tourist shoppers from Asia.

Gucci's recent struggles have been a headache for parent company Kering SA. Kering's share price has dropped 1.79% as a result.

In response to slowing growth, Gucci's management pushed Mr. Michele to rebalance the collection to focus less on fashion and more on heritage pieces inspired by the brand's rich history. This shift has helped to revitalize the brand and bring in stronger sales and profits.

In June, Kering outlined its strategy for Gucci to investors, with the goal of driving further growth. The company recruited a former executive from Tiffany's (also owned by LVMH) to lead Gucci's Chinese business, and appointed a new executive vice president to oversee merchandising.

In November, Kering announced that Mr. Michele was stepping down. Mr. Michele said that "there are times when paths part ways because of the different perspectives each one of us may have."

The search for a new creative director was led by Gucci's CEO, Mr. Bizzarri, as well as François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering.

Mr. De Sarno's creative vision will ensure that the house continues to be a major force in fashion and culture, with highly desirable products and collections that bring a contemporary perspective to modern luxury, according to Mr. Pinault.