Nothing, as is often the case, is an exaggeration in this case. Things are changing at Gucci. In fact, last Monday the firm presented Gucci Cruise 2025, Sabato De Sarno’s third collection, before an audience of 700 guests – including everyone from François Pinault, president of Kering, and his wife Salma Hayek to Kate Moss or Dua Lipa- at the Tate Modern in London. The seasons change, but not the style. After the event, fashion critic Tim Blanks referred to the designer in his chronicle as “stubborn,” an adjective that De Sarno used in his post about the show on Instagram.
There is nothing that is not pleasant in the designer’s proposal. The miniskirts are funny, the suede garments are desirable, the chiffon dresses are very flattering and the Ancora red is the most tempting. The bags, in addition to being recognizable, are practical. However, fashion fans expect something more. Exactly what? Something as different as what Alessandro Michele did when he became creative director of Gucci in 2015, but of course different. Consequently, they expect Kering, owner of the brand, to return to the designer’s chair until someone appears who meets his expectations. The group, for its part, seems not to be nervous despite the 20% drop in sales in the first quarter of this year. He seems in no hurry. He seems to be thinking long term.
The Italian brand is the most important for the entire group, and although during the Alessandro Michele era its aesthetic was hyper-recognizable, the goal now seems to be to make it something suitable for all audiences. Something more similar to what Louis Vuitton (from LVMH) is in terms of size, recognition and ubiquity, but without ceasing to look like Gucci.
The house’s poor numbers are undoubtedly due to the slowdown in luxury consumption in China, where Alessandro Michele’s vision had unprecedented success. Furthermore, the firm is in a transition period: although we have already seen three Sabato De Sarno collections, the first has just arrived in stores, and is being well received in the North American market. Conclusion: within the group they are more optimistic than in the public arena, and they trust estimates such as that of luxury analyst Luca Solca (Bernstein), which improved in February compared to those of September 2023.
Lovers of plot twists will be delighted with the news that Michael Burke, head of LVMH’s fashion division since last February, will leave his position as a result of the company’s internal “restructuring process”, according to information from The Business of Fashion. Although the executive, who has worked alongside Bernard Arnault for nearly 40 years, is unlikely to leave the company, he will be replaced in his role by his predecessor, Sidney Toledano, and by Delphine Arnault, executive vice president of Louis Vuitton, general manager of Dior and clearly heir to the empire when the time comes for her father to retire.
Apparently Burke, former CEO of Louis Vuitton, would have disappointed the leadership of LVMH by not having been able to close the contract of Alessandro Michele (yes, the same Alessandro Michele who transformed Gucci) at Fendi. Until now he was in charge of Loewe, Marc Jacobs or Celine, among others. In the latter, by the way, the renewal of the contract of its artistic director Hedi Slimane remains unresolved. Everything continues to point to his departure, and one of his possible replacements, Michael Rider, has left his position as creative director of Polo Ralph Lauren this week.
“Michael Rider has made the decision to leave Ralph Lauren,” says a statement from the firm. “We are fortunate to have a group of exceptional creative talent across our company, who have worked closely with Ralph for many years.” From these words it can be concluded that one of the reasons why Rider has left is that Ralph Lauren does not plan to retire in the short term. His signing for Celine would be a kind of homecoming, because he was ready-to-wear director during Phoebe Philo’s years at the firm. A graduate of Brown University, he also worked as a senior designer at Balenciaga from 2004 to 2008.
Another thing that no one saw coming, although everyone wanted a house for Haider Ackermann, is that the French designer of Colombian origin would become the first creative director of Golden Goose. Ackermann is known for his hand in high fashion, Golden Goose for producing the star-studded sneakers that teenagers yearn for. “When it comes to combining craftsmanship and beauty, there is no one better than Haider Ackermann. “He understands that Canada Goose is a brand apart, that authenticity, craftsmanship and performance are our cornerstones,” said Dani Reiss. “With their remarkable ability to harness the energy and potential of our authentic heritage, I look forward to seeing their impact on our garments.” We all are.
