Sabato De Sarno - Designer

[GivenchyAddict]

I put him on the wall of failures with :
- Wang at Balenciaga
- Lapidus at Lanvin
- Archs at Ungaro
- LdSS at Ann D

Nice line-up of losers. 🥴

 

[fashionsavvvvvy]

We couldn’t get to see his dancing anymore 😥

 

[Lola701]

To fire him 3 weeks before the show is quite ruthless…

 

[ellearchivist]

Another bonus to today's news is that Zanola guy must surely also be out. Bye bye!

 

[Armani]

I can’t find if it’s with immediate effect ?

It indeed is, as he won’t be presenting the FW25 collection.

Womp womp. He surely won’t be missed. I guess you could say the stocks are bleeding Ancora red…

 

[Creative]

To fire him 3 weeks before the show is quite ruthless…

Indeed! He couldn’t even have a decent farewell. They could’ve send a press release saying the next show will be his last and that would’ve been smoother for everyone.

Kering style 🤪

 

[Lola701]

Stop with the Hedi speculations!
Gucci beauty is under Coty license and Hedi is a control freak who wants to have full creative direction of the brand (from RTW to beauty to furniture), there is no way he would accept to manage only the fashion part of the brand.
Also he got beef with Pinault and the top management after the YSL drama.

Hedi won’t get back with them because his exit from Saint Laurent turned into a legal action but the Coty situation is not much an issue as the license agreement ends in 2028.

So any new designer signing this year could have the total control of the brand after the first renewal.

It’s already an exciting motivation…

Maybe they should stop with the number 2 thing and hire a star this time to create some sort of excitement.

 

[yslforever]

I have friends of mine who bought Gucci stocks prior to Sabato announcement and they have been crying for 2 years and a half on how much the stock value has decreased...they're gonna keep crying I guess LOL

I am considering buying some Kering stocks today, or next week, can they go lower than that ?

 

[Lola701]

I have friends of mine who bought Gucci stocks prior to Sabato announcement and they have been crying for 2 years and a half on how much the stock value has decreased...they're gonna keep crying I guess LOL

They should continue to buy more stocks. It’s cheaper than ever but eventually things will turn around. And I think the integration of Gucci beauty in 3 years will also help.

If they hire someone known, the market may respond well. If it’s followed with a success, your friends will be the happiest!

 

[FashionPower]

Hedi won’t get back with them because his exit from Saint Laurent turned into a legal action but the Coty situation is not much an issue as the license agreement ends in 2028.

So any new designer signing this year could have the total control of the brand after the first renewal.

It’s already an exciting motivation…

Maybe they should stop with the number 2 thing and hire a star this time to create some sort of excitement.

Oh I did not know about the Coty license expiring soon...interesting but still not enough for Hedi after the legal drama.

It's actually kinda hard to think of a proper replacement that could work as Gucci's image is kinda tarnished:
- Brand is perceived as a cheap version of Louis Vuitton, however it lacks the fashion forward vision / proposition from Ghesquiere to sustain the high fashion conversation / credibility
- For menswear, it's even worse: Pharrell's Louis Vuitton is for tasteless trappers, but at least they are selling 10k Speedys P9. Gucci is for tasteless losers Miami drug dealers, however they are selling 2k GG monogram acetate tracksuit...
- Michele's maximalism is over and also it's kinda flopping at Valentino. There is no way the management would agree in a vision shifting going back to Michele's aesthetic after they worked so hard to get rid of it
- Another Phoebe's, Bottega doppelganger would not help either, the quiet luxury market / propositions are overly saturated and people don't shop Gucci for minimalistic offerings

They need someone who can embrace a Ghesquiere x Vuitton 2.0 methodology: make a fashion forward proposition that does not alienate the tacky customers and build seasonal accessories offering based on the runway show. Work with that GG monogram, embrace it in different ways...however in order to do this you need to establish a proper image among the general public. Ghesquiere didn't go 100% 80's scifi vision right after the appointment, he established a rather conservative (however fashion forward) proposition to gain loyalty among the customers.

 

[yslforever]

Hedi won’t get back with them because his exit from Saint Laurent turned into a legal action but the Coty situation is not much an issue as the license agreement ends in 2028.

So any new designer signing this year could have the total control of the brand after the first renewal.

It’s already an exciting motivation…

Maybe they should stop with the number 2 thing and hire a star this time to create some sort of excitement.

No PPP though

 

[FashionPower]

Another bonus to today's news is that Zanola guy must surely also be out. Bye bye!

No more strolling around in Milan with personal driver for him...
Zanola is to blame as much as Ancora guy for this Gucci demise.
I know Cercio and Vanetti are laughing out loud right now reading the news...

 

[Norden]

I think this was career ending for Sabato, its quite sad, im sure hes a good designer in a larger team headed by strong creative direction. On his own he was clueless. I always remember that he wasn't into storytelling, to denounce storytelling is so bleak and sad, it speaks of a one dimensionality which is so prevalent in our society.
I dont know if hiring a star designer will work, the management at kering and gucci seems completely lost. In order to give a real voice any chance they will need to give it space and trust. I dont think neither of those things exist there currently.

Im sceptical of Hedi joining gucci, to be honest he could only succeed if any management works under and for him, he can't share space. and to be honest maybe that's what gucci needs? a hardcore direct voice who will shut up all those layers of noise and bring some decent and sexy product.

 

[GivenchyAddict]

I am considering buying some Kering stocks today, or next week, can they go lower than that ?

Already on it. 😏

 

[FashionPower]

I even wonder how he became head of design at Valentino… this is a good example that not every designer has what it takes to be a creative director. Sometimes you’re better getting things pointed out to you than you pointing out to others

At least he enjoyed it

He was the worst from the Valentino PPP team indeed.
PPP RTW design team was comprised of:
- Gabriele Cusimano: the most talented one, mostly focused on women RTW, left Valentino with PPP
- Sabato: the worst one, mostly focused on men RTW, he's the mind behind the VLNT line and all the basic menswear stuff (that look like Zara with V logos)
- Yvan Mispelaere: design director Haute Couture, very talented, he's still working at Valentino with Lallo

I don't know if Gabriele was considered for the Gucci position, but he would have been a much better choice.

 

[VogueDisciple93]

2 years too late… Just an all around embarrassment.

 

[yslforever]

They should continue to buy more stocks. It’s cheaper than ever but eventually things will turn around. And I think the integration of Gucci beauty in 3 years will also help.

If they hire someone known, the market may respond well. If it’s followed with a success, your friends will be the happiest!

They will need a new board and to oust FHP and find a new global CEO, to improve. We need activists and invested shareholders.
His strategy, acquisitions in real estate and Creed etc, are questionable, costly and unsuccessful.
I secretly hope Mayhoolz will put a reverse UNO card, just like they did with AM at Valentino, and absorb or dismantle Kering.
They are much more invested, deep-pockected and smarter investors.

Rousteing at Gucci with a veteran accessory designer ? He has made his time at Balmain, has a sense of over-the-top glamour, and it if can done down his over-embellishments, I d be okay for him. Time to bring sexy back on the catwalk.

 

[FashionPower]

I have some spicy intels from Maria Grazia's inner circle, she is already thinking of a new bag to boost Gucci sales.
She came up with the Gucci Ancora tote, what do you think?
It spells Gucci Florence instead of Christian Dior Paris and features a Florence map instead of the Paris one...

 

[FashionPower]

Rousteing at Gucci with a veteran accessory designer ? He has made his time at Balmain, has a sense of over-the-top glamour, and it if can done down his over-embellishments, I d be okay for him. Time to bring sexy back on the catwalk.

Speaking of accessories, remember the news of that veteran YSL bag designer who got asked from Bellettini to join Gucci to come up with new bags for the brand? I guess it was August 2024...it's been almost 6 months and there have been no major bag releases apart from the Gucci B and the Blondie that were designed prior to the guy coming. Clear example of terrible internal management. Even YSL without the designer came up with a greater amount of new bag designs...
The east west with colored handle Bamboo bags shown on the runway in September seemed to be quite acclaimed from the fashion pack...why didn't they release it in advance, maybe during the holiday season?

 

[Lola701]

Oh I did not know about the Coty license expiring soon...interesting but still not enough for Hedi after the legal drama.

It's actually kinda hard to think of a proper replacement that could work as Gucci's image is kinda tarnished:
- Brand is perceived as a cheap version of Louis Vuitton, however it lacks the fashion forward vision / proposition from Ghesquiere to sustain the high fashion conversation / credibility
- For menswear, it's even worse: Pharrell's Louis Vuitton is for tasteless trappers, but at least they are selling 10k Speedys P9. Gucci is for tasteless losers Miami drug dealers, however they are selling 2k GG monogram acetate tracksuit...
- Michele's maximalism is over and also it's kinda flopping at Valentino. There is no way the management would agree in a vision shifting going back to Michele's aesthetic after they worked so hard to get rid of it
- Another Phoebe's, Bottega doppelganger would not help either, the quiet luxury market / propositions are overly saturated and people don't shop Gucci for minimalistic offerings

They need someone who can embrace a Ghesquiere x Vuitton 2.0 methodology: make a fashion forward proposition that does not alienate the tacky customers and build seasonal accessories offering based on the runway show. Work with that GG monogram, embrace it in different ways...however in order to do this you need to establish a proper image among the general public. Ghesquiere didn't go 100% 80's scifi vision right after the appointment, he established a rather conservative (however fashion forward) proposition to gain loyalty among the customers.

I think that they needs a more global strategy.
The CD will then come to perfect that strategy.
Part of the mission of NG was to streamline or edit the offering at Louis Vuitton. Under Nicolas, they have tremendously reduce their catalog of bags and are sometimes releasing stuff in special and small editions. He developed the RTW but essentially, Vuitton is known for their bags and luggages and they do that just right.

The strategy at Fendi was also great. When Pietro Baccarri took over from Michael Burke, they developed more the brand into leathers. I don’t know if it’s still the case but I know that at one point they were selling more leather bags than canvas bags and so they reduced their offer in canvas from their catalog.

It’s time for Gucci to stop producing bags for outlets, to push leather. To focus on the icons first. Maybe it’s also time to change the ugly vintage looking GG they are sticking in all their logo bags.

For me Gucci is not so much sexy than it is Jet Set. Gucci should be the ultimate lifestyle brand because they have a credibility in fashion.

The management and the CD are at fault here. Sabato sold us sexy with Daria in the campaign and then nothing in his visuals followed that. He signed Kendall Jenner for a campaign when she is not recognized for her style. They tried to follow the Hailey Bieber thing.
Nothing made sense!