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Gucci’s Creative Director Michele to Step Down

A Gucci logo is pictured at Galeries Lafayette department store at Friedrichstrasse in Berlin, Germany, January 22, 2021. (Reuters)
A Gucci logo is pictured at Galeries Lafayette department store at Friedrichstrasse in Berlin, Germany, January 22, 2021. (Reuters)
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Gucci’s Creative Director Michele to Step Down

A Gucci logo is pictured at Galeries Lafayette department store at Friedrichstrasse in Berlin, Germany, January 22, 2021. (Reuters)
A Gucci logo is pictured at Galeries Lafayette department store at Friedrichstrasse in Berlin, Germany, January 22, 2021. (Reuters)

Creative director Alessandro Michele is leaving Kering's star label Gucci after seven years, two sources said on Wednesday, with his departure following tensions between him and Kering's senior management, one of the sources said. 

They said the French luxury group is expected to confirm the departure of Michele, a former accessories designer credited with reviving Gucci's popularity with flamboyant and gender-fluid styles. 

Kering and Gucci declined to comment. Michele did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

"There is little doubt that Alessandro is leaving," one of the sources said, adding that the group needed to find someone quickly to step in as creative director for Gucci, which accounts for the bulk of Kering's profits. 

"It's a brand that was losing momentum, if they don't put someone in charge quick it will lose even more momentum," this source said. 

Michele's departure comes as the key holiday season approaches and the January fashion shows. 

After pulling back during the pandemic, Gucci plans to return to a full fashion calendar next year, with six collections. 

Kering shares opened up 2% on Wednesday after Women's Wear Daily (WWD), citing unnamed sources, first reported Michele's departure. The shares later gave up gains, and were down 0.4% in mid-afternoon trading. 

The shares are down by around 24% since the start of the year, compared with a drop of around 4% for LVMH. 

"After seven years in charge of Gucci's creative engine, it may well be time for a change, and consensus amongst institutional investors appears to be forming that a new approach is required to reignite the brand," RBC analysts said in a note. 

Michele, 49, is known for his eclectic personal style, instantly recognizable at red carpet events, with long hair and beard, often wearing elaborate, brocade tuxedos. 

Alongside CEO Marco Bizzarri, he oversaw a period of soaring growth at Gucci between 2015 and 2019, with profits increasing nearly four-fold and revenue almost trebling. 

But in recent quarters, Gucci has begun to lag its peers, with its performance in the key Chinese market becoming a source of concern for investors amid COVID-19 lockdowns 

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Fashion

L’Oreal Shares Sink as Sales Miss Forecasts 

This photo taken on February 16, 2018 shows a board with the L'Oreal logo outside of the L'Oreal plant, in Lassigny. (AFP)
This photo taken on February 16, 2018 shows a board with the L'Oreal logo outside of the L'Oreal plant, in Lassigny. (AFP)
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L’Oreal Shares Sink as Sales Miss Forecasts 

This photo taken on February 16, 2018 shows a board with the L'Oreal logo outside of the L'Oreal plant, in Lassigny. (AFP)
This photo taken on February 16, 2018 shows a board with the L'Oreal logo outside of the L'Oreal plant, in Lassigny. (AFP)

L'Oreal shares fell heavily on the Paris stock market on Friday after the cosmetics giant posted sales that fell short of analyst expectations, stoking fears of weakness for its luxury brands and in the key Chinese market.

While revenues rose seven percent in the fourth quarter in Europe -- still the company's biggest market -- they edged up just 0.7 percent in North America and fell five percent in North Asia, which includes China.

Overall, sales were up 1.5 percent to 11.2 billion euros ($13.3 billion) in the final quarter of 2025 -- usually when the company benefits from strong holiday-fueled buying.

This was a marked slowdown from the 4.5-percent growth seen the previous year.

On a like-for-like comparison that excludes the impact of currency fluctuations, sales rose six percent, whereas the consensus forecast was around eight percent, analysts said.

The luxury division (Luxe) in particular, which includes high-end perfumes and make-up and is L'Oreal's biggest by revenue, saw a 0.5-percent sales slide in the fourth quarter, to 4.2 billion euros.

"We think the miss, led by North Asia and Luxe, will be a concern amid a vague outlook," said David Hayes, an analyst at investment bank Jefferies.

L'Oreal's stock was down 3.2 percent in morning trading, partly recovering from a drop of more than six percent at the open.

Net profit for the full year was down 4.4 percent to 6.1 billion euros.

Chief executive Nicolas Hieronimus said when he presented the results on Thursday that L'Oreal had achieved a "solid" performance "despite a context that was at the very least volatile and unfavorable".

For 2026, he said the company had to be "cautious and humble", although he expected "the beauty market to continue its acceleration" unless there was "a new surprise".

"We're going to have to intensify our efforts in terms of innovation to energize the market and win over customers," he added.

Fashion

Michael Kors Brings ‘New York Chic’ to NY Fashion Week with Latest Collection 

A model presents a creation from the Michael Kors Fall/Winter 2026 collection during New York Fashion Week in New York City, US, February 12, 2026. (Reuters)
A model presents a creation from the Michael Kors Fall/Winter 2026 collection during New York Fashion Week in New York City, US, February 12, 2026. (Reuters)
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Michael Kors Brings ‘New York Chic’ to NY Fashion Week with Latest Collection 

A model presents a creation from the Michael Kors Fall/Winter 2026 collection during New York Fashion Week in New York City, US, February 12, 2026. (Reuters)
A model presents a creation from the Michael Kors Fall/Winter 2026 collection during New York Fashion Week in New York City, US, February 12, 2026. (Reuters)

Michael Kors launched its fall/winter collection on Thursday during New York Fashion Week as models in wool coats and monochromatic sweaters walked the runway carrying feathered bags.

The show celebrated the brand's 45th anniversary. The presentation also ‌comes just over ‌a week after Michael ‌Kors parent ⁠company Capri Holdings ⁠reported a 5.6% drop in the brand's sales in its holiday quarter attributed to reduced promotions. Michael Kors accounts for more than 80% of the company's revenue.

Models, including Alex Consani and Christy ⁠Turlington, strutted the staircase of the ‌Metropolitan Opera ‌House showing off tailored suits, embroidered florals and ‌cashmere sweater dresses inspired by the idea ‌of "no nonsense to being chic in New York," the brand's namesake said.

New York is "gritty, tough, rough, resilient, and then you turn ‌the corner and it's glamorous, opulent, and fabulous," designer Michael Kors ⁠told ⁠Reuters. "I think the balance of those two sides of things ... that is something that has informed my approach."

Actresses Gabrielle Union, Dakota Fanning and Leslie Bibb watched the show along with Vogue Chief Content Officer and Global Editorial Director Anna Wintour.

Capri Holdings shares dropped 3.39% on Thursday. They have lost 12% over the last 12 months.

Fashion

Hermes Beats Sales Expectations, Sees Positive Signs in China

The logo of Hermes is seen on a store in Paris, France, April 24, 2020. (Reuters)
The logo of Hermes is seen on a store in Paris, France, April 24, 2020. (Reuters)
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Hermes Beats Sales Expectations, Sees Positive Signs in China

The logo of Hermes is seen on a store in Paris, France, April 24, 2020. (Reuters)
The logo of Hermes is seen on a store in Paris, France, April 24, 2020. (Reuters)

Hermes, whose handbags sell for $10,000 and more, on Thursday reported stronger than expected fourth-quarter revenue growth, lifted by strong sales in the United States and Japan.

Thanks to its ultra-wealthy clients and large order backlog, the group has weathered a luxury sector slowdown better than most of its rivals, consistently increasing revenue while sales at other luxury groups, like LVMH and Kering , have been under pressure.

"The group is going into 2026 with confidence," said CEO Axel Dumas, adding that this year's ‌price increases would ‌be around 5-6%, down from a 6-7% rate in ‌2025, ⁠attributing the slower pace ⁠to currency shifts.

Hermes shares gained 2% in early trade, Reuters reported.

Chiara Battistini, luxury equity analyst at J.P. Morgan, said the price increases Hermes imposes on its deep-pocketed customers this year will be key for the company's growth outlook.

Many of its rivals have put the brakes on price rises due to falling sales. Gucci owner Kering's CEO earlier this week said a price hike "bonanza" post-pandemic had contributed ⁠to the company's revenue slide.

Sales of products, including Birkin and ‌Kelly bags, silk scarves and perfume, grew ‌by 9.8% in the fourth quarter in currency-adjusted terms, compared to an analyst consensus compiled ‌by Visible Alpha of 8.4% growth.

Sales in the Americas region, mainly ‌the United States, rose by 12.1%, beating expectations of around 9%, while sales in Asia excluding Japan - a region mainly driven by China - grew 8%.

POSITIVE SIGNS IN CHINA

In a call with analysts, Dumas said he was seeing positive signs in China, ‌a major luxury market that has slowed significantly in the past few years due to the impact of ⁠a property crash on ⁠the country's economy.

"I do not see the situation deteriorating," he said. "There are positive moves, in particular the way they are managing the property crisis."

Revenues in Hermes' leather division, which accounts for most of its profits, grew by 14.6% organically.

Hermes' full-year operating profit came in at 6.57 billion euros ($7.79 billion), with a 41% profit margin, slightly ahead of estimates of a 40% margin. The company said it would pay a dividend of 18 euros per share.

Hermes has grown its overall annual sales by around 38% in the past three years even as most of the luxury industry stalled. Its shares are up 36% over the same period.

With just 25,000 staff globally, family-controlled Hermes has become France's second-largest company by market capitalization after rival LVMH.