After Sabato de Sarno's Exit, What's Next for Gucci?

A new chapter

Sabato De Sarno’s tenure at Gucci, which began with much anticipation and hope, has come to an end.

After just two years, the Italian designer will step down, with the house announcing his departure on Thursday. His final contribution to the brand will be the Autumn/Winter 2025 show, to be presented not by him, but by the Gucci design studio during Milan Fashion Week on February 25.

It was a short and poignant chapter in the storied history of Gucci. Sabato’s appointment in 2021 was seen as a turning point, a signal that the brand might usher in a new era of subtle luxury and refined rebellion.

Coming from Valentino, where he had carved out a reputation as a fashion director for both men’s and women’s collections, Sabato’s background suggested he could bring a sophisticated sensibility to the house that once made bold statements about excess and glamour.

Before Valentino, his resume included stints at Dolce & Gabbana and Prada—brands that, like Gucci, thrived on an intricate balance of tradition and innovation.

Yet now, with his exit, one wonders if his vision was ever fully realized. What was promised by his appointment—a revival, a reinvention, a recalibration of Gucci’s identity—seems incomplete.

A new creative director is, of course, promised, but the whispers in the air are of uncertainty. How does one measure the impact of a designer who, like a fleeting thought, never fully lingered in the spotlight?

The runway will remain unchanged, but will the story?

A house as storied as Gucci can hardly be defined by the passage of two short years, and yet, in the era of fast fashion and even faster timelines, it’s hard to ignore the fact that Sabato’s exit feels as swift as it was inevitable.

The future, with its promise of a new creative hand, remains uncertain—but Gucci, it seems, has always been about reinvention, even if it means letting go of a fleeting moment.

Courtesy Gucci