Saint Laurent ends decade-long tenure of designer Vaccarello as part of wider Kering revamp

PARIS, Oct 9 — Belgian designer Anthony Vaccarello is leaving Saint Laurent after a decade as the ​brand's creative director, its owner Kering said on Friday, adding that his successor would be announced soon.

Vaccarello, appointed in 2016 to ‌succeed Hedi Slimane, turned the French couture brand into a global powerhouse by tapping into strong ⁠Chinese demand, reaching well over €3 billion ​in annual sales in 2023, ⁠before losing traction amid a wider industry slowdown.

Vaccarello's exit comes as Kering ‌CEO Luca de Meo ‌seeks to overhaul the group after years of decline. Kering, whose ⁠shares are down 31% this year, ⁠is due to report third-quarter sales on October 22.

With runway shows staged against a lit-up Eiffel Tower, Vaccarello sought to preserve Saint Laurent's Parisian identity while expanding its reach, pushing the brand into film production, including Cannes-winning "Emilia Pérez".

For his final runway show last week he ‌presented gold dresses, gold trench coats and gold ​stilettos beneath giant gold chandeliers, inspired by the Salon Imperial ballroom of the Hotel Inter-Continental where Yves Saint Laurent staged his first haute couture show in 1976.

Saint Laurent is the last major Kering brand to switch creative director as a luxury industry slowdown prompted designer changes last year at Gucci, Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta.

"The focus of ​the new designer will be in currently under-represented product categories, such as women's ‌daywear and menswear, ‌in high-end ⁠leather goods, and less penetrated regions such as China/Asia," Barclays analysts said in a note.

Industry speculation points to Chemena Kamali, currently creative director at Chloe and previously womenswear design director at Saint Laurent, as Vaccarello's likely successor.

Saint Laurent's gross ‌revenues fell by 9% and ​6% in 2024 and 2025, before ‌largely stabilizing this year, ⁠according to Kering.

(Reporting ​by Tassilo Hummel; Additional reporting by Helen Reid; Editing by Makini Brice and ​Kate Mayberry)

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