Gucci names new creative director to revive brand

New direction: Shoppers pass a Guccio Gucci SpA sign on Via Montenapoleone in Milan, Italy. Gucci has begun to lag rivals, including Hermes and LVMH’s top brand Louis Vuitton, recently. — Bloomberg

PARIS: French luxury goods group Kering has appointed Sabato De Sarno, a senior fashion designer at Valentino, as creative director of its top brand Gucci, it says.

At Gucci, he will be tasked with reviving the fortunes of a brand that accounted for two-thirds of Kering’s profits in 2021 but has been losing momentum in recent years after stellar growth in 2015-19.