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☆ Mixing old and new, Gucci hosts show in 14th century Seoul palace
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Ju-Min Park | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, May 16 (Reuters) - With sparkling lights and beating drums, Italian luxury label Gucci took over a 14th century Seoul Palace on Tuesday to showcase its cruise collection, blending Korean heritage and modern fashion. The show, featuring the soundtrack of Oscar-winning South Korean movie "Parasite" during its finale, was the first of its kind to take place within the palace's courtyard. The Gucci cruise show follows a Louis Vuitton pre-fall fashion show on a Seoul bridge in April. Built in 1395, the Gyeongbokgung palace served as the main royal palace of Korea's Joseon dynasty. The South Korean national treasure became the latest iconic landmark chosen by Gucci to showcase its collection.

☆ Milan Fashion: Gucci revisits past to pave new way, sober looks at Tod's
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A model presents a creation from the Gucci Fall/Winter 2023/2024 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, February 24, 2023. One model wore a crumpled shirt tucked into a miniskirt, others were dressed in coats with voluminous shoulders. At Tod's (TOD.MI), creative director Walter Chiapponi offered a sober collection in earthy tones that played with tailoring. Models wore pea coats as well as long oversized coats, and also appeared in parkas and cropped aviator and elongated bomber jackets. Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian in London and Elisa Anzolin in Milan Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/2] A man looks at a window display outside a Gucci store, part of the Kering group, at Tsim Sha Tsui shopping district in Hong Kong January 17, 2013. But while Gucci, which accounts for the bulk of profits and revenues at Kering, was the only brand to post a fall in sales, analysts said other labels too posted lower-than-forecast results. Kering said sales fell by 15% in North America in the fourth quarter and by 19% in Asia Pacific. But the situation has been more complicated for Kering, since Gucci relies more heavily on China than competitors. LVMH's fashion and leather goods division, home to Louis Vuitton and Dior, grew sales by 10% over the fourth quarter.

☆ Gucci's challenge: reigniting heat while boosting timeless appeal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Mimosa Spencer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

PARIS, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Sabato De Sarno, newly appointed by Kering (PRTP.PA) to reinvigorate its prized Gucci brand, needs to spark heat with a new direction, analysts say - a delicate task, given the emphasis executives have also put on the label's timeless appeal. De Sarno, a senior fashion designer from Valentino, is tasked as creative director with reviving the fortunes of the brand that accounted for two-thirds of Kering's profits in 2021. Analysts welcomed Kering's choice of a seasoned but relatively unknown designer, noting that previous creative director Michele did not have a public profile when he was appointed in 2002. His experience at Valentino suggests a "less eccentric aesthetic" than Gucci's previous designer, noted Carole Madjo of Barclays. The designer rose through Valentino's ranks after his arrival in 2009 to become fashion director overseeing both the men's and women's collections, working closely with chief designer Pierpaolo Piccioli.

☆ New Gucci designer has big sneakers to fill
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, Jan 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Gucci’s new creative head Sabato De Sarno is stepping onto a wobbly catwalk. François-Henri Pinault’s conglomerate Kering (PRTP.PA) on Saturday picked the 39-year-old from smaller fashion house Valentino to lead its biggest brand and succeed star designer Alessandro Michele, who left abruptly in November. Michele’s daring designs, which he applied lavishly on anything from shirts to sneakers, helped Gucci sales shoot up to nearly 10 billion euros in 2019. But at around 10.5 billion euros in 2022, Gucci sales are expected to have risen only 10% since then. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

PARIS, Jan 28 (Reuters) - French luxury goods group Kering (PRTP.PA) has appointed Sabato De Sarno, a senior fashion designer at Valentino, as creative director of its top brand Gucci, it said on Saturday. "I am touched and excited to contribute my creative vision for the brand.”He will present his debut Gucci runway collection at Milan Women's Fashion Week in September 2023. Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri said that having worked with a number of Italy's most renowned luxury fashion houses, De Sarno "brings with him a vast and relevant experience." "Gucci - and the Kering shareholders - need courage and an original point of view." "The eyes of the world will be on him to see if he also has the required creative genius."

☆ Kering appoints De Sarno as Gucci creative director
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A Gucci sign is seen outside a shop in Paris, France, January 27, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/FilesPARIS, Jan 28 (Reuters) - French luxury giant Kering (PRTP.PA) has appointed Sabato De Sarno, a senior fashion designer at Valentino, as creative director of its top brand Gucci, it said on Saturday. I am touched and excited to contribute my creative vision for the brand,” De Sarno said in Kering's statement. He will present his debut Gucci runway collection at Milan Women's Fashion Week in September 2023. Former creative director Alessandro Michele, known for his flamboyant and gender-fluid styles, left Gucci abruptly in November after seven years in the job, following tensions between with Kering's top management, sources told Reuters.

☆ Gucci and Louis Vuitton Need New Designers. Inside the Open Tryouts
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Jacob Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS—Men’s fashion week, which concluded Sunday, simmered with the speculative atmosphere of an NBA locker room just before the league’s trade deadline. In front rows and corner brasseries, buyers and critics eagerly discussed who will fill two of the industry’s most significant open design positions: that of Louis Vuitton ‘s men’s creative director, previously held by Virgil Abloh, who died at 41 in November 2021, and Gucci’s creative directorship, from which eccentric Italian designer Alessandro Michele stepped down in November 2022. Beyond those vacancies, it’s an open question which current designers will renew their contracts at the major luxury houses. It’s looking to be, to borrow a sports term, a silly season ahead.

☆ Two of Fashion’s Biggest Jobs Are Unfilled. Inside the Open Tryouts
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Jacob Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS/MILAN, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Gucci kicked off Milan fashion week on Friday with a lineup of slouchy, androgynous menswear styles, forging ahead with its latest collection while the industry waits for owner Kering (PRTP.PA) to name a new designer for the label. The question of who will steer Gucci's creative direction loomed over the megabrand's first men's show in the Italian fashion capital in three years. Events run through Jan. 17, drawing an audience that includes major retail buyers sizing up which styles might be future top sellers. Gucci held back on marketing investments during the pandemic, while larger rival LVMH's two biggest labels Louis Vuitton and Dior pushed ahead, a move that analysts say helped them gain ground on rivals. Despite the current turbulence at Kering, however, expectations are high given the group's strong track record nurturing brands, analysts say.

☆ Here are 3 big luxury retail trends for 2023, according to experts
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Luxury resale will boom in 2023 as more brands take control of their second-hand markets. The personal luxury market is expected to grow 3%-8% over the next year, according to Bain & Company. This year, without those stimulus checks, and amid a possibly pending recession, there will be a shift in who is buying luxury items, according to Oliver Chen, a managing director in the retail and luxury section for investment bank Cowen. Insider chatted with four experts, from former merchandisers to retail analysts, to understand how the luxury retail market is bound to change in 2023. Next year, experts expect to see more luxury brands taking control of their own second-hand markets.

☆ Gucci’s Next Revamp Needs a More Classic Look
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Carol Ryan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

No new designer is lined up yet at Gucci after Alessandro Michele’s departure. Parting ways with Gucci’s designer was an inevitable decision for Kering, the luxury group that owns the brand. The Italian brand’s creative director, Alessandro Michele, is stepping down immediately, Kering said this week, and no one is lined up yet for his job. From his first runway show in early 2015, Mr. Michele more than doubled Gucci’s sales and tripled operating profit in what is considered one of the most successful luxury-brand makeovers in decades. However, the brand has looked wobbly since 2020 as his designs became less popular.

☆ Analysis: Out of fashion: Gucci faces daunting task to replace top designer
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Mimosa Spencer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/4] Gucci's designer Alessandro Michele arrives at the "Green carpet Fashion Awards" event during the Milan Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 24, 2017. Tensions had been high between the designer and company management, sources told Reuters. Kering chairman and CEO François-Henri Pinault lauded the designer's tenure as "an outstanding moment" in Gucci's history. Gucci falls out of fashionFURRY LOAFERSMichele, 49, reinvigorated the brand with his eccentric, gender-fluid styles popular with younger shoppers. China generates around 35% of Gucci's annual sales, according to Barclays estimates, compared to 27% for LVMH's fashion and leather goods division and 26% for Hermes.

☆ Gucci’s Creative Chief to Step Down
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Nick Kostov | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Alessandro Michele, shown in September, took on the creative director role at Gucci in 2015. Alessandro Michele , whose eccentric designs reinvigorated Gucci, is stepping down as creative director of the Italian luxury brand as a period of rapid growth peters out. Parent company Kering SA said in a statement late Wednesday that Mr. Michele was leaving his post at the fashion house having “played a fundamental part in making the brand what it is today.”

☆ Gucci designer’s exit boosts Kering’s M&A urgency
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MILAN, Nov 24 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The abrupt departure of star Gucci designer Alessandro Michele on Wednesday is putting French luxury boss François-Henri Pinault on the spot. The Italian brand, Kering’s (PRTP.PA) largest, has been a money-spinner for the 68 billion euro French conglomerate. Gucci revenue nearly trebled to 9.6 billion euros between 2014 and 2019. Reuters GraphicsFollow @LJucca on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSKering’s top brand Gucci said on Nov. 23 Creative Director Alessandro Michele had stepped down. Under Michele’s creative leadership, Gucci sales grew nearly three times from 2014 to 9.6 billion euros in 2019, one of the best performing brands in the luxury world.

☆ Kering confirms departure of Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS, Nov 23 (Reuters) - French luxury goods company Kering (PRTP.PA) confirmed on Wednesday the departure of Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele. "There are times when paths part ways because of the different perspectives each one of us may have. Today an extraordinary journey ends for me, lasting more than twenty years, within a company to which I have tirelessly dedicated all my love and creative passion," said Michele in a statement. Reporting by Sudip Kar-GuptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Gucci's creative director Michele is exiting the brand - WWD
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Creative director Alessandro Michele is leaving Italian fashion house Gucci, the biggest brand of French luxury group Kering (PRTP.PA), Women's Wear Daily (WWD) reported late on Tuesday. Well-placed sources here say that creative director Alessandro Michele is exiting the brand," WWD said in a report from MilanA statement was expected as early as Wednesday, it added. Both Kering and Gucci declined to comment the WWD report. Gucci has been successfully revamped with a bold new style since Michele took over the top creative role at Gucci in January 2015. Reporting by Dominique Vidalon, Silvia Aloisi and Piotr Lipinski; Editing by Benoit Van OverstraetenOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ European shares hold near 3-month highs as business activity slowdown eases
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Sruthi Shankar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Europe-wide STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) inched up 0.1% to its strongest level since Aug. 19. S&P Global's flash Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for the euro zone, seen as a good gauge of overall economic health, nudged up to 47.8 in November from the previous month. Traders have currently priced in a 77% chance that the U.S. central bank will hike rates by 50 basis points in December. The European Central Bank will release its own meeting minutes on Thursday. ECB Vice-President Luis de Guindos said the central bank will keep raising interest rates until it brings inflation down to around its 2% mid-term goal.

☆ Burberry looks to reignite spark under new leadership duo
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Suban Abdulla | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

He has already made his key appointment in choosing Daniel Lee to replace Riccardo Tisci as chief designer at the 166-year-old label. Leather goods account for around 20% of Burberry's sales versus 70% at Bottega Veneta. Tisci, in turn, changed Burberry's design language by introducing a TB monogram, that increased the brand's appeal to younger luxury consumers. The final stages of Burberry's five-year plan were expected to see an acceleration in revenue growth and an increase in profits. Burberry's rivals - led by French luxury leaders LVMH (LVMH.PA) and Kering (PRTP.PA) - in contrast, have most recently reported double-digit sales growth in the quarter to the end of September.

☆ Tom Ford return offers remedy for Gucci fatigue
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MILAN, Nov 4 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Tom Ford’s return to the realm of Gucci owner Kering (PRTP.PA) would add some much-needed sparkle. Bringing Tom Ford himself on board could even help revitalise it. Tom Ford offers diversification at a reasonable valuation. Sales of Tom Ford Beauty’s cosmetics and fragrances grew at a double digit rate in the third quarter, according to Vogue Business. In August, the Wall Street Journal reported that beauty giant Estée Lauder was looking to buy Tom Ford for $3 billion.

☆ Gucci surprises with twin-themed show at Milan Fashion Week
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Fashionistas saw double at Gucci's Milan Fashion Week show on Friday, with the Italian luxury label surprising audiences by sending identically-dressed twins down the catwalk. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe siblings held hands as they walked together in a striking finale. "It's exactly the impossibility of the perfectly identical that nourishes the magic of twins," Michele said. Milan Fashion Week runs until Monday. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian, Editing by Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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