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Sabato De Sarno has been appointed creative director of Shanghai-based luxury brand Icicle, joining the ranks of high-profile European designers to work for a Chinese fashion brand a year and a half after exiting Gucci.
De Sarno will oversee creative direction of the quiet luxury brand which emphasises natural materials and designs high-end tailoring in studios in Shanghai and Paris. It is owned by ICCF Group, which also owns French fashion label Carven. He will oversee ready to wear for men and women as well as accessories and eyewear, Icicle said on Monday.
De Sarno was previously creative director at Gucci but exited abruptly after less than two years. He had been hired to reinvigorate Kering’s flagship label when the flamboyant designs of his predecessor, Alessandro Michele, lost momentum after years of explosive growth. De Sarno’s minimalist approach at Gucci, where he emphasised tailoring, wardrobe staples and understated styling, however, did not generate the buzz and sales momentum needed to reignite Gucci in the sluggish luxury market that followed the post-Covid boom.
De Sarno, who began his career at Prada and Dolce & Gabbana, was previously fashion director at Valentino, where he worked alongside Pierpaolo Piccioli for more than a decade.
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His hiring fits Icicle’s ambition to grow the Chinese fashion house globally. Gucci-owner Kering invested in ICCF group in April as part of a broader partnership between the two groups to share expertise.
De Sarno is the latest high profile designer to work for a Chinese fashion brand. Kim Jones and Kris Van Assche, both former creative directors at LVMH brands, have designed for Bosideng and Anta, respectively.
Founded in Shanghai in 1997, Icicle has more than 200 stores, including flagships in Beijing, Shanghai and Paris.
“Our ambition has always been to reconnect people with nature through enduring fashion,” said Icicle CEO and co-founder Ye Shouzeng. “Sabato’s arrival marks an important step forward in this direction.”
Longtime Icicle designer Bénédicte Laloux will continue to design the women’s show collection, working under De Sarno.
De Sarno’s first collection for the brand will be Autumn/Winter 2027-28.
