A Gucci Thriller in Three Acts: Sabato De Sarno exists Gucci without final bow. Story, mostly observation by Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Photo / Video Courtesy: Gucci / Kering.

Act I: The House That Blood Built

Gucci, darling, is no ordinary fashion house—it’s a dynasty drenched in drama, betrayal, and, quite literally, blood. The Gucci family tree isn’t so much a lineage as it is an ongoing crime saga. When Maurizio Gucci was assassinated in 1995, courtesy of a hitman arranged by his own ex-wife, it was a fitting chapter in a house that has never been about familial love but about cold, hard cash.

For decades, Gucci has been governed by one unshakable principle: money over everything. And when you build a luxury empire on the graves of your own relatives, it’s naïve to expect anything different. Gucci doesn’t do legacy, it does profit margins.

Act II: The Rise and Fall of Gucci’s Creative Regimes

Let’s get one thing straight: Gucci is not about fashion innovation—it’s about accessories. The holy trinity of money makers—bags, shoes, and sunglasses—all decorated with the iconic GG logo and dipped in the sacred Gucci colors (green, green, and red). Ready-to-wear? That’s just a formality to make the brand seem like it actually does fashion.

For years, the Gucci rollercoaster was in relatively stable hands. First, Frida Giannini (2006–2014) stabilized the house, made it elegant, and ensured that Gucci remained commercially powerful. But that wasn’t enough for François-Henri Pinault—the all-powerful CEO of Kering (parent company of Gucci) —who decided that breaking the codes was the only way forward.

And so, enter Alessandro Michele in 2015—the Gypsy King of fashion, a man who turned Gucci into a chaotic hippy-fair fever dream. Cut-off heads as handbags? Check. Female reproductive organs embroidered on gowns? Check. The fashion world swooned, the traditional Gucci clientele recoiled, and for a while, Pinault thought he had a masterstroke.

But then, reality hit. Gucci’s stock numbers plummeted, the maximalist fantasy got stale, and by 2022, Michele was kindly escorted out of the Gucci —right on his 50th birthday. How thoughtful and kind.

Enter Sabato De Sarno, the Valentino-trained savior, tasked with calming the madness. He brought back clean lines, elegance, and a whisper of Gucci’s past sophistication. His first collection was a relief. People cheered. Finally, a Gucci that could be worn without looking like a Cirque du Soleil extra.

Pinault was always convinced that his grand marketing vision would override reality.

Really? When did it actually work?

Act III: The Macho-Wacho Posturing Catastrophe

François-Henri Pinault may be the CEO of a luxury brands (in miniature state), but he is also a man who knows A LOT about stupid things.

Apart from the traditional pack – two articles and behind-the scenes video with interview, designed somehow to influence public opinion, there were huge posters all over Milan. 

Faced with declining sales, what did he do? Did he cultivate a new client base? Did he shower existing customers with thoughtful touches—flowers, invitations, exclusive gestures of generosity? Did he attempt to reconnect Gucci to the world outside its own bubble?

No.

Instead, he did what only someone who has no understanding of how luxury works would do:

He burned millions on huge posters (yeah, yeah… billboards) all over Milan.

As if slapping Sabato De Sarno’s Gucci looks on oversized advertisements would somehow bring the brand back to life.

It was ridiculous. Even Italians—who have a legendary tolerance for fashion excess—stood there, looked at these absurd posters, and smirked. Gucci stores? Empty.

Because what Pinault didn’t understand is that luxury isn’t about visibility. It’s about desirability. And nothing screams cheap like using Macho-Wacho strategy.

And so, when the massive investment in ego didn’t yield instant results, who had to pay the price?

Certainly not Pinault.

It was Sabato De Sarno who got the axe. Oh yes, It’s very Gucci!

Final Curtain: A Fatal Opinion on new Valentino?

Because as much as Gucci loves to pretend it functions like a regular brand, there’s an undeniable Game of Thrones energy to the way it operates.

Sabato De Sarno wasn’t just any designer—he was Pierpaolo Piccioli’s right-hand man at Valentino for 14 years. He knew what made that house work. He knew how to create collections that kept clients loyal.

And then, in the greatest fashion plot twist of the decade, Alessandro Michele was named creative director of Valentino.

His first Haute Couture collection? A fever dream titled “Dizzy” (or just PLAIN CRAZY —no need for poetic interpretations). The entire industry reeled. It was theatrical, disjointed, and very, very Gypsy King crazy.

We at RUNWAY MAGAZINE had our own opinion about it, and it wasn’t exactly glowing. (Read it here).

And Sabato De Sarno? He had to have an opinion.

And in a house like Gucci, where people used to literally kill each other, saying the wrong thing—even thinking the wrong thing—can be deadly.

Did he express concern? Did he say something a little too sharp about Valentino’s future? Did he dare to have an honest reaction?

It doesn’t take much.

And so, like a character in a Florentine tragedy, Sabato De Sarno was gone.

Epilogue: The Future of Gucci

will Kering repeat history and choose another understudy, another unknown, another inevitable sacrifice?

The answer doesn’t really matter.

Because here’s what we know:

Whoever steps in will be handed an impossible task. They will be expected to perform miracles while Kering pulls the financial strings, demanding instant results.

And the moment those numbers don’t match Pinault’s delusions?

The knives will come out.

Because Gucci is not a fashion house.

It’s a house of survival.

And Sabato De Sarno, as talented and joyful as he is, was never meant to survive.

“Any important project relies on the passion, the intelligence and heart of extraordinary people. To them I say: always look out for your joy. It is the true measure of whether you are true to yourself, whatever the opportunity, whatever the challenge. A thank you would not be enough maybe. But today my joy is for you. Thanks to my whole team for another year full of emotions and beautiful moments. Remember to have fun, always. “ Sabato De Sarno