Sabato de Sarno inaugurates a new era at Gucci

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Sabato De Sarno had planned to stage his first Gucci show on the fashionable streets of Brera in Milan, but a wet forecast prompted a last-minute move back to Gucci headquarters. His caution paid — it rained. There’s nothing that sours the mood of show-goers like a show staged in a downpour.

Still, the mood of guests exiting De Sarno’s debut on Friday afternoon was not quite jubilant. Mostly, there was confusion: what exactly is De Sarno’s vision for Gucci? And who is it for?

Certainly the collection — titled “Ancora”, meaning “again” — did not feel tailored to the wealthy, older consumers analysts have long complained that De Sarno’s predecessor Alessandro Michele failed to speak to, and who have become increasingly essential to brands’ bottom lines as post-pandemic demand from younger, more aspirational shoppers in the US and China has evaporated. 

In fact it felt very young, with Miu Miu-esque micro-mini skorts cut short enough to reveal bum cheeks, bejewelled bandeau tops that harkened back to Tom Ford, and glossy leather pencil skirts too stiff and high-slit to sit down in. Low-rise jeans and a long green tank with beaded fringe were distinctly Y2K (and thus ripe for TikTok). With the exception of a black gilet and a couple of blazers, these were clothes not for boardrooms or elegant dinners, but for being out and paparazzied in.

In show notes, De Sarno described the collection as “a party at the first light of day” and “Getty images of cool people of all ages”.

As for the accessories? Here De Sarno played it safe, reworking tried-and-tested house icons — the Jackie, the top-handled Bamboo — in shiny, colourful leathers. The horsebit loafer was elevated, literally, into a platform shoe. The white red-and-green-striped tennis sneaker reappeared, teamed with zip-front hoodies and sporty dresses cut from grey cotton jersey.

Until he got the Gucci job this year, De Sarno’s name was little-known in the fashion industry, much less outside of it. He has spent the past 14 years at Valentino, most recently as design director. This is his first time taking on a creative director role — and it happens to be one of the five biggest brands in the business, with sales of more than €10bn last year.

Gucci has a new CEO as well as a new designer, in the form of Kering chair François-Henri Pinault’s long-time right-hand Jean-François Palus. He began working at Kering 32 years ago, well before it became a fashion and luxury business (he started in timber). Pinault described Palus as his “sparring partner” when he announced he was taking on the Gucci role, initially on an interim basis, last July.

Revenues at Gucci have slowed relative to rivals such as LVMH-owned Dior and Hermès in recent years, and Palus and De Sarno are tasked with reversing that trend. Pinault told analysts at the end of July that Gucci, which is responsible for two-thirds of Kering’s profits, has the potential to become a €15bn-revenue brand “in the foreseeable future”.

One of the good things about De Sarno’s collection was its size and its variety. Some of the concepts he presented might take off; others might not, or need more time for this writer to digest. But from here, De Sarno — and Gucci — could go anywhere.

Lauren Indvik is the FT’s fashion editor

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