Gucci appoints Valentino senior designer Sabato De Sarno as creative director to revive the brand

Kering luxury goods company announced that its Gucci fashion brand has a new creative director. The firm said that former Valentino senior fashion designer, Sabato De Sarno, has been appointed to the post.

As he moves to Gucci, he is expected to work on reviving the brand as it has been losing power in recent years after its high growth in the years 2015 to 2019. The luxury brand is said to have accounted for two-thirds of Kering's total earnings in 2021.

It was mentioned that De Sarno started his career in the fashion business when he joined Prada in 2005. He later moved to Dolce & Gabbana before finally joining Valentino in 2009.

He held various positions at Valentino until he was promoted to the fashion director role. In this job, his tasks include managing the brand’s men's and women's collections and working closely with the chief designer Pierpaolo Piccioli, as per Reuters.

De Sarno is set to showcase his first Gucci collection at the upcoming Milan Women's Fashion Week, which will be held in September. This will also serve as his debut on the runway under Gucci.

“Having worked with a number of Italy’s most renowned luxury fashion houses, he brings with him a vast and relevant experience,” Gucci’s chief executive officer, Marco Bizzarri, said in a press release. “I am certain that through Sabato’s deep understanding and appreciation for Gucci’s unique legacy, he will lead our creative teams with a distinctive vision that will help write this exciting next chapter, reinforcing the house’s fashion authority while capitalizing on its rich heritage.”

On his new appointment at Gucci, De Sarno said he is “deeply honored to take on the role as creative director of Gucci.” He added that he is proud to join a fashion house “with such an extraordinary history and heritage that, over the years, has been able to welcome and cherish values I believe in.”

Photo by: Long Phan/Unsplash