Waiting for Gucci | BoF

Dear BoF Community,

Fashion is in a state of uncertainty. In a tough market, many brands are aiming to clarify their raison d’être in a bid to get customers shopping again. Nowhere is this more urgent than at Kering’s flagship brand Gucci, which abruptly split with designer Sabato De Sarno earlier this month amid plunging sales.

The brand went ahead with plans to show during Milan Fashion Week on Tuesday, with a collection signed by the “design office” in a move to keep Gucci in the fashion conversation. Some observers wondered whether it would have been better to sit this season out, but going quiet for a season might only have underscored the brand’s state of limbo and could have been seen by the market as a lack of confidence about its future.

Gucci’s key codes — the horse bit, the bamboo handle, and of course the interlocking G’s crystallised during the Tom Ford era, as well as key accessories like the brand’s Alessandro Michele-era slippers — were all present, but in the end, the neither-here-nor-there collection only served to underscore why this luxury megabrand absolutely needs a strong creative director.

With the right designer in place, and a clarified business vision, Gucci has all the elements needed to make it a success again: the right mix of product grounded in seasonal fashion authority combined with a solid foundation of classic Gucci signature items. Kering deputy CEO Francesca Bellettini said at the group’s results presentation two weeks ago that a new creative director would be named “promptly.” The sooner, the better.

Catch up on all of our reports from Milan Fashion Week by Angelo Flaccavento, including today’s report on the Versace and Moschino shows, and read my top picks from all of our analysis and reporting from the week gone by.

Wishing you all a great weekend!

Imran Amed, Founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, The Business of Fashion

Here are my other top picks from our analysis on fashion, luxury and beauty:

1. Inside Coupang’s Tug of War With Farfetch. A year into its ownership of the embattled luxury e-tailer, the South Korean e-commerce giant is whipping Farfetch into shape, reaching near breakeven in its latest quarter. But company insiders say Coupang has gone from cutting fat to cutting muscle, stripping Farfetch of its ability to compete for the attention and dollars of key ultra-wealthy shoppers who account for 30 percent of its annual sales.

2. Can Formula 1 Keep TAG Heuer in the Fast Lane? The LVMH-owned brand plans to spend nearly 20 percent of sales on marketing this year, new CEO Antoine Pin says, doubling down on partnerships in the fast-expanding world of F1 racing in an effort to keep up growth in a sluggish watch market.

3. Zara, Kiehl’s, Jacquemus: Why Skiing Is Bigger Than Ever for Brands. Skiing’s retro winter aesthetic is at the centre of a marketing craze for brands that previously had no ties to mountain sports or their upmarket clientele. Here’s why high street names, beauty players and designer labels all want to leave their mark in the snow.

(BoF Team)

4. What Happened to Italy’s Luxury Sweatshops Investigation? It’s been almost a year since Italian prosecutors linked Armani and then Dior to sweatshops on the outskirts of Milan as part of an investigation that was expected to put up to a dozen more fashion brands under the microscope. In response, officials and industry leaders have rushed to tighten controls over the luxury supply chain.

(BoF Team)

5. Backstage Pass | Diesel and the Democratic Power of Denim. Imran Amed goes backstage at Diesel Autumn/Winter 2025 show.

This Weekend on The BoF Podcast

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James Whitner — founder of The Whitaker Group and the visionary behind retailers such as A Ma Maniére and Social Status — reveals how culture, purpose, and empathy drive his approach to business.

Whitner witnessed firsthand how marginalised communities often face limited options, shaping his commitment to serving communities typically overlooked by the fashion industry.

“I think what helped me understand life is difficult, it’s just seeing a difficult life, right? Watching people struggle and seeing that there is privilege in pain,” says Whitner, about growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

“When I look at what we’re creating now, it has purpose and is about standing up Black culture at the centre,” Whitner adds. “Everything is about real experiences and connections to people.”

This week on the BoF Podcast, founder and CEO Imran Amed sits down with Whitner to explore his journey, learn about the driving force behind The Whitaker Group’s community-centric retail experiences, and understand why authenticity and cultural connection are non-negotiables in today’s fashion landscape.

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