With Gucci revenues in free fall, creative director Sabato De Sarno exits the brand as company leaders assert control to restore Gucci to luxury greatness.

Gucci announced on Thursday that its creative director of under two years, Sabato De Sarno, has left the position just two and a half weeks before the next runway show, and that the new collection would be created by the design team.

As Sabato De Sarno’s exit from the Italian house triggers an avalanche of rumours about his successor, we lay out the key priorities for the role.

Sabato De Sarno is exiting Gucci two years after he was appointed as creative director, the brand announced on Thursday. Its Autumn/Winter 2025 show during Milan Fashion Week on 25 February will be presented by the Gucci design studio.

Instead, De Sarno is making an early exit. On Thursday, Gucci announced De Sarno’s departure, the latest high-profile designer shakeup amidst a wave of creative change that is steadily reshaping the fashion industry.