Kering Appoints de Sarno as Gucci Creative Director

A Gucci sign is seen outside a shop in Paris, France, December 18, 2017. REUTERS/Charles Platiau
A Gucci sign is seen outside a shop in Paris, France, December 18, 2017. REUTERS/Charles Platiau
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Kering Appoints de Sarno as Gucci Creative Director

A Gucci sign is seen outside a shop in Paris, France, December 18, 2017. REUTERS/Charles Platiau
A Gucci sign is seen outside a shop in Paris, France, December 18, 2017. REUTERS/Charles Platiau

French luxury giant Kering appointed Sabato de Sarno as creative director of its star brand Gucci, it said on Saturday.

De Sarno began his career at Prada in 2005, moving to Dolce & Gabbana, before joining Valentino in 2009, where he held several positions before being appointed fashion director overseeing both men's and women's collections.

At Gucci, he will be tasked with reviving the fortunes of a brand that, after stellar growth between 2015 and 2019, has been losing momentum in recent years.

Creative director Alessandro Michele left abruptly in November after seven years in the job, following tensions with Kering's top management, sources told Reuters.



Hugo Boss Sees Broadly Stable 2025 Sales, Flags Muted Demand in 1st Quarter

FILE PHOTO: Men's shoes are on display at the Boss store in London, Britain, May 30, 2024. REUTERS/Chris J. Ratcliffe/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Men's shoes are on display at the Boss store in London, Britain, May 30, 2024. REUTERS/Chris J. Ratcliffe/File Photo
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Hugo Boss Sees Broadly Stable 2025 Sales, Flags Muted Demand in 1st Quarter

FILE PHOTO: Men's shoes are on display at the Boss store in London, Britain, May 30, 2024. REUTERS/Chris J. Ratcliffe/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Men's shoes are on display at the Boss store in London, Britain, May 30, 2024. REUTERS/Chris J. Ratcliffe/File Photo

Hugo Boss said muted consumer sentiment was having an impact on its business in the current quarter as it forecast 2025 sales broadly in line with last year's level on Thursday.
The upmarket fashion company has sought to boost the popularity of its brand through selected marketing investments, while increasing profits by limiting costs, despite weakening consumer demand and a polarization of consumer preferences towards either high-end luxury or cheaper fast-fashion offers.
It sees annual sales development between a 2% decline and a 2% increase, to a range of 4.2 billion to 4.4 billion euros ($4.57 billion to $4.79 billion), following 3% growth to 4.3 billion euros in 2024, Reuters reported.
"Macroeconomic and geopolitical volatility remains high, weighing on consumer sentiment and impacting our business performance since the beginning of the year," CEO Daniel Grieder said in a statement.
Analysts had estimated annual sales of 4.26 billion euros for 2024 and 4.44 billion euros for 2025, a company-provided poll showed.
The Hugo Boss shares were up 3.8% in early Frankfurt trade despite the cautious comments, with Baader Helvea's analyst Volker Bosse pointing to a solid outlook for operating profit.
The company expects full-year earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) to rise between 5% and 22%, coming in between 380 million and 440 million euros, compared to a 12% decline to 361 million euros last year.
At its midpoint, the guidance would imply EBIT of 410 million euros, against analysts' estimate of 414 million euros.
The company also said sales growth was "particularly robust" in the last three months of 2024, boosted by a successful holiday season.
Group sales were 1.25 billion euros in the fourth quarter, beating analysts' expectations of 1.20 billion euros, with currency-adjusted sales in the Americas region rising 8% helped by a high single-digit percent uptick in the key US market.
"Sales in China remained below the prior-year level, reflecting overall muted local consumer demand," it added.