Gucci's two-year creative-director reset that didn't take: Alessandro Michele out (November 2022), Sabato De Sarno in (January 2023), De Sarno out (February 6, 2025)
Alessandro Michele had been Gucci's creative director since January 2015, and his maximalist aesthetic drove an extraordinary growth run that defined Kering's portfolio for most of the late 2010s. Michele departed in November 2022 amid declining commercial results. In January 2023, Kering announced Sabato De Sarno — a relatively quiet designer from Valentino with prior stints at Prada and Dolce & Gabbana — as Michele's replacement. De Sarno's first Gucci show was Milan Fashion Week, September 2023. His Gucci aesthetic was a deliberate reset toward quiet luxury: pared-back tailoring, minimal embellishment, a signature red ('Rosso Ancora'). The bet did not work commercially. On February 6, 2025, Gucci announced it was parting ways with De Sarno after a two-year tenure. In January 2025, Stefano Cantino — formerly at Louis Vuitton — had been appointed Gucci CEO, succeeding Jean-François Palus, who had served as interim CEO. Francesca Bellettini, now Kering's Deputy CEO in charge of brand development, has overall responsibility for the portfolio.
- Story: Alessandro Michele had been Gucci's creative director since January 2015, and his maximalist aesthetic drove an extraordinary growth run that defined Kering's portfolio for most of the late 2010s. Michele departed in November 2022 amid declining commercial results. In January 2023, Kering announced Sabato De Sarno — a relatively quiet designer from Valentino — as Michele's replacement. De Sarno's first Gucci show was Milan Fashion Week, September 2023. His Gucci aesthetic was a deliberate reset toward quiet luxury: pared-back tailoring, minimal embellishment, a signature red ('Rosso Ancora').
- Why it matters: The bet did not work commercially. On February 6, 2025, Gucci announced it was parting ways with De Sarno after a two-year tenure. In January 2025, Stefano Cantino — formerly at Louis Vuitton — had been appointed Gucci CEO, succeeding Jean-François Palus (who had served as interim CEO since 2023). Francesca Bellettini, now Kering's Deputy CEO in charge of brand development, has overall responsibility for the portfolio.
- Takeaway: De Sarno's two-year tenure (January 2023 announcement through February 6 2025 exit) is shorter than most major-house creative-director transitions take to fully execute.
- Takeaway: Cantino was hired from LVMH's Louis Vuitton — Kering recruiting from its largest competitor for the role.
- Takeaway: Bellettini had previously run Saint Laurent very successfully, which is part of why Kering's portfolio-development role went to her.
Gucci's two-year reset
Gucci's reset and reset-of-reset
Quick facts
The Alessandro Michele era ended November 2022
Alessandro Michele had run Gucci creative direction since January 2015. His maximalist aesthetic — vintage references, gender-fluid styling, decoration-heavy product — drove revenue growth that made Gucci the dominant brand in Kering's portfolio. By 2021-2022, growth was decelerating and competitor luxury houses (LVMH's Louis Vuitton and Dior in particular) were widening their lead. Michele departed in November 2022. Industry coverage at the time framed it as mutual but largely understood as a Kering board decision driven by commercial trajectory.
The De Sarno appointment (January 2023) and the September 2023 debut
Kering announced Sabato De Sarno as Michele's replacement in January 2023. De Sarno had been at Valentino since 2009, with earlier stints at Prada (where he started in 2005) and Dolce & Gabbana. He was hired by then-Gucci-president-and-CEO Marco Bizzarri. De Sarno's first Gucci show ran during Milan Fashion Week in September 2023. His aesthetic was a deliberate counter to Michele: clean tailoring, restrained palette, a signature deep red called 'Rosso Ancora,' positioning Gucci more in line with the quiet-luxury trend that had built through 2022-2023. The bet was that a less-eccentric, more-classic Gucci would re-attract the customer Michele had alienated and stabilize commercial trajectory.
Why it didn't work: the February 6, 2025 exit
Two years and a few collections later, the quiet-luxury reset had not delivered the Gucci recovery Kering needed. On February 6, 2025, Kering announced that Gucci and De Sarno were parting ways. The reasons publicly cited and analyzed in WWD, BoF, and Fortune coverage centered on continued softness in Gucci's commercial results — particularly relative to LVMH's portfolio brands — and a creative direction that, while less polarizing than Michele's, also generated less buzz and weaker product distinctiveness in a market where customers were trading down or trading laterally to other houses. Stefano Cantino, the new Gucci CEO appointed in January 2025 from Louis Vuitton, inherited the open creative-director role.
The Cantino-Bellettini structure as of early 2025
Stefano Cantino became Gucci CEO in January 2025, replacing Jean-François Palus, who had been interim CEO since 2023. Cantino's previous role was at Louis Vuitton (LVMH), making his appointment a competitive talent move by Kering. Francesca Bellettini, who had previously run Saint Laurent very successfully and is now Kering's Deputy CEO in charge of brand development, has overall portfolio responsibility. The February 2025 De Sarno departure happened weeks after Cantino took the CEO role — meaning the new CEO's first major public action was the creative-director change rather than inheriting a stable creative direction to operate around.
Frequently asked questions
When did Sabato De Sarno actually leave Gucci?
Gucci and Kering announced they were parting ways with De Sarno on February 6, 2025, after a two-year tenure. He had been creative director since his appointment was announced in January 2023, with his first show in September 2023.
Who is Stefano Cantino and when did he become CEO?
Stefano Cantino became Gucci CEO in January 2025, having previously been an executive at Louis Vuitton (LVMH). He succeeded Jean-François Palus, who had served as interim CEO since 2023 (when the previous Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri departed).
Why did Alessandro Michele leave Gucci?
Michele had been creative director since January 2015 and his maximalist aesthetic had driven Gucci's growth for most of his tenure. By 2021-2022, growth was decelerating and Kering decided a creative reset was needed. He departed in November 2022. Industry coverage characterized it as mutual but was largely understood as a Kering board call driven by commercial trajectory.
What was the 'Gucci Ancora' / 'Rosso Ancora' positioning?
'Ancora' is Italian for 'again' — De Sarno used it as a thematic framing for the quiet-luxury reset of Gucci's creative direction. 'Rosso Ancora' was the signature deep-red color associated with the new aesthetic, positioned as a brand-equity signal that distinguished De Sarno's Gucci from Michele's. The framing was a deliberate counter to the maximalism that defined the Michele era.
How does Gucci fit in Kering's portfolio?
Gucci is Kering's largest brand by revenue. The portfolio also includes Saint Laurent (formerly run by Francesca Bellettini, now Kering Deputy CEO), Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Brioni, and others. Gucci's decline has been a major drag on Kering's overall financial performance, which has lagged LVMH and Richemont through 2023-2024.
Sources & references
- Gucci, Creative Director Sabato De Sarno Part Ways (WWD, February 2025) — WWD's coverage of the De Sarno exit.
- Gucci parts ways with creative director Sabato De Sarno (Fortune, February 6, 2025) — Fortune's contemporaneous coverage.
- Sabato de Sarno Exits Gucci (Business of Fashion) — BoF's analysis with Cantino and Bellettini context.
- Sabato De Sarno Exits Gucci, Sparks Speculation on Successor (WWD, February 2025) — WWD's analyst-reaction coverage including succession speculation.
- After Two Years, Sabato De Sarno & Gucci Part Ways (Highsnobiety) — Highsnobiety's coverage with De Sarno career detail (Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino).
- Sabato De Sarno is leaving Gucci after a two-year tenure (Wallpaper*) — Wallpaper* coverage of the exit and creative direction implications.