Vaccarello Exits Saint Laurent After a Decade in Gold

Kering Confirms the Golden Goodbye

Kering confirmed on Friday, October 9 that Anthony Vaccarello is leaving Saint Laurent after a decade as creative director, with new creative leadership to be announced soon. CEO Luca de Meo thanked the Belgian designer for 'his creative vision and exacting standards,' while Saint Laurent CEO Cédric Charbit credited his 'ten years of dedication' for elevating the house 'to the forefront of desirability and image.' The announcement came days after what Vogue presciently reviewed as his farewell show, quoting Robert Frost's 'Nothing gold can stay.'

SourcesKSL News Vogue Drapers

Why the Exit Stuns the Industry

The departure is surprising because Vaccarello defied expectations from the start. Vogue reports he was appointed in April 2016 at just 36, four days after Hedi Slimane's exit, with Slimane's huge commercial boots to fill — revenue had risen from €354 million in 2011 to €974 million in 2015. The Impression calls his run one of the most commercially successful and visually consistent chapters in the house's recent history, with revenue nearly tripling to roughly €3.3 billion at its peak. Few, the magazine's path suggests, would have bet on such longevity when it began.

SourcesVogue The Impression

The Final Show: Gold Beneath the Eiffel Tower

Numéro describes 49 golden silhouettes — safari jackets, trenches, tuxedos and evening dresses in lamé, brocade, organza and gold-leaf latex — beneath a monumental chandelier and the illuminated Eiffel Tower, closing with black velvet before Charlotte Gainsbourg sang a farewell song written for the event. Vogue notes the color sequence inverted Yves Saint Laurent's Fall 1991 Rive Gauche finale, and that Gainsbourg gave a surprise performance as the designer handed something to his son.

SourcesVogue Numéro Magazine

A Decade of Memorable Runways

Numéro's retrospective traces the signature moments: the return of the Cassandre logo in his Spring 2017 debut, a UV-lit fluorescent finale for Fall/Winter 2019-2020, latex in February 2020, the Paloma Picasso tribute of Spring 2022, Martha Graham-inspired jersey dresses for Spring 2023, the naked collection of Fall/Winter 2024-2025 and the balloon dresses of Spring 2026. The Impression notes broad shoulders, elongated silhouettes, sheer fabrics and towering heels became recurring signatures in cinematic productions frequently staged against the Eiffel Tower.

SourcesNuméro Magazine The Impression

The Stakes: Luxury Slowdown and Kering's Overhaul

The exit lands amid a wider Kering shake-up: Reuters reports Saint Laurent follows Gucci, Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta in switching creative directors as CEO Luca de Meo overhauls the group amid a luxury slowdown, with Kering shares down 31% this year. Reuters notes Saint Laurent's gross revenue fell 9% in 2024 and 6% in 2025 before largely stabilizing, while The Impression says it returned to growth in the first half of 2026. Reuters also cites Barclays analysts saying the new designer's focus will be under-represented categories — women's daywear, menswear, high-end leather goods — and less-penetrated regions like China/Asia.

SourcesKSL News The Impression

What Comes Next for Saint Laurent

Industry speculation, reported by Reuters, points to Chemena Kamali — currently creative director at Chloé and previously womenswear design director at Saint Laurent — as the likely successor, though neither Chloé nor Richemont responded to requests for comment. As for Vaccarello, Vogue quotes his 2024 remark that the only option is 'to start something completely different.' Third-quarter Kering sales are due October 22.

SourcesKSL News Vogue The Impression

Sources

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