Anthony Vaccarello leaves Saint Laurent after ten years

Saint Laurent has confirmed that Anthony Vaccarello, its creative director since April 2016, is stepping down. Saint Laurent and its owner Kering made the announcement on 9 October 2026 and said new creative leadership would be named soon.

For Belgian readers, this is a big story. Vaccarello grew up in Brussels and studied at La Cambre. Vogue notes that he was 36 when he was appointed, just days after Hedi Slimane left, and that he had previously led Versace's Versus line and his own label.

A decade in numbers

Vogue reports that Saint Laurent's revenue more than tripled under Vaccarello, reaching €3.3 billion in 2022, before falling to €2.64 billion in 2025. That decline happened as the whole luxury sector slowed and as the house pulled back from wholesale.

A golden goodbye

His final collection, for spring/summer 2027, was shown on 29 September under the Eiffel Tower, ten years and two days after his debut. According to Vogue, there were 49 looks in shades of gold followed by 10 in black. The collection revisited house staples such as safari jackets, trench coats, pencil skirts and evening dresses, and Charlotte Gainsbourg performed at the finale. His departure had been rumoured since the summer, so many guests already saw it as a farewell.

What comes next

There is no official successor yet. WWD has reported that Chemena Kamali, creative director of Chloé, is widely expected to take over. Until Saint Laurent makes an announcement, treat that as industry speculation.

The change is part of a wider shake-up at Kering under chief executive Luca de Meo, which has also brought new creative leadership at Gucci, Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta, according to Reuters. We'll update when Saint Laurent names its next designer.

• Saint Laurent
• Kering
• Belgian designers
• Creative directors