Sabato De Sarno Exits Gucci After 2 Years: What’s Next?

WELL, THAT DIDN’T LAST LONG. Gucci has announced that Sabato De Sarno is stepping down as creative director after just 2 years at the House. In a rather abrupt statement, the Kering-owned brand confirmed his immediate departure, with the upcoming Milan show set to be presented by the in-house design team. Given the constant reshuffling at the top of fashion’s biggest houses, it’s another chapter in what feels like luxury’s never-ending game of musical chairs.

De Sarno took over in 2023 — debuting his first Spring/Summer 2024 collection that September— following the long and wildly eccentric reign of Alessandro Michele, who left the brand in late 2022 before taking the helm at Valentino. His brief tenure was all about dialling Gucci back from maximalism to a more commercial, wearable aesthetic — less wild sequined fantasy, more stripped-back, everyday luxury. His collections leaned into polished tailoring, sleek leather, and quiet luxury staples, all meant to reposition Gucci as a leader in real-world dressing rather than just Instagram spectacle.

But as we now know, the shift didn’t quite hit the mark. The writing may have been on the wall for a while, with murmurs that the House’s new direction wasn’t landing with consumers the way they’d hoped. Gucci thrives on cultural relevance and blockbuster sales, and despite De Sarno’s intentions, the pared-back approach may have stripped away too much of what made Gucci, well, Gucci.

Related: A guide to the reshuffle of creative directors in luxury fashion

And so, as the industry processes yet another high-profile exit, the bigger question looms — who’s next? With Matthieu Blazy recently taking the top spot at Chanel, Hedi Slimane leaving Celine, and Kim Jones stepping away from Dior Homme, the talent pool is looking both promising and unpredictable. Social media is already awash with speculation, with names like Marc Jacobs, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Simon Porte Jacquemus, and even Slimane himself being thrown into the mix. Gucci has a history of making left-field choices, so we wouldn’t be surprised if the next creative lead is someone completely unexpected.

Related: Kim Jones exits Dior — Is Jonathan Anderson next in line?
Related: Matthieu Blazy is Chanel’s new creative director

One thing’s for sure — Gucci loves a reinvention, and this is just the latest in a long line of them. Whether the brand opts for an avant-garde risk-taker or a commercial heavyweight remains to be seen, but fashion’s game of chess is well and truly in motion. Keep your eyes on the runway; this one’s going to be interesting.