Following weeks of rumours, global luxury fashion group Kering has confirmed that creative director Anthony Vaccarello has exited Saint Laurent.
The label's parent company said he had "played a key role in Saint Laurent's development, helping to strengthen its identity and influence across the worlds of fashion and culture".
Saint Laurent president and chief executive Cedric Charbit praised Vaccarello for his decade-long "dedication" to the company.
"During his tenure, Anthony took Saint Laurent on a remarkable trajectory, elevating the house to the forefront of desirability and image, while accomplishing exceptional work both creatively and through his cultural impact,” he said.
Kering chief executive Luca de Meo added: "Through his creative vision and exacting standards, [Anthony] has contributed to strengthening the enduring influence of one of France's greatest couture houses, as we embark on a new chapter in its history."
Vaccarello leaves behind a legacy with the label. With a keen eye for the dramatic, he understood the role of spectacle, staging shows beneath the Eiffel Tower that showcased razor-sharp tailoring, sheer mini dresses and dramatic eveningwear, and creating a vision of Paris after dark that helped propel the French house to the top tier of global luxury.
The Belgian designer's final show with Saint Laurent, held in Paris on September 29, was filled with gilded looks that faded into darkness, and at the time, was widely regarded as his farewell to the house.
Appointed in 2016 to succeed Hedi Slimane, Vaccarello introduced greater colour, volume and sensuality to the house’s monochromatic codes.
Building on Saint Laurent's signature codes, from towering heels to elegant silk trench coats, he helped shape a distinctive aesthetic that proved both creatively and commercially successful.
Under his direction, the house's revenue tripled to €3.3 billion, before falling to €2.6 billion in 2025 amid a wider slowdown in luxury spending. His influence also extended beyond fashion, with Saint Laurent launching its own film-production arm in 2023.
His departure comes at a time of wider change for Kering. Under new chief executive De Meo, the luxury group is undergoing an 18-month overhaul aimed at reviving its brands, with plans to expand Saint Laurent's menswear and jewellery collections.
Whoever succeeds Vaccarello will face the challenge of taking Saint Laurent in a new direction while preserving the distinctive glamour that defined his decade at the house.
Kering has yet to announce a replacement, although Chemena Kamali, currently creative director of Chloe, is already being mentioned as a possible successor.
