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

PARIS, Oct 9 (Reuters) - 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)