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Alexander McQueen’s creative director Seán McGirr is leaving the brand, owner Kering said in a statement Thursday.
New creative leadership for the fashion house will be announced soon, the group said.
McGirr struggled to find his footing at McQueen after a weak response to his early designs for the London-based brand.
A first-time creative director recruited from Jonathan Anderson’s namesake label, McGirr joined McQueen as the brand was facing a sharp downturn in sales due to a slowing luxury market and fading demand for its hit line of puffy sneakers. The company was also navigating the exodus of many seasoned team members following the 2023 departure of veteran creative director Sarah Burton, who had led the brand since founder Lee Alexander McQueen’s death in 2010.
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Rebuilding savoir-faire and establishing a new creative vision for the brand amid a global slowdown in luxury demand was a tall order. The absence of strong early signals made it harder to build momentum during McGirr’s tenure: His March 2024 debut introduced a looser, grittier aesthetic that felt fresh. But some retailers and critics saw the debut as messy: a too-sharp departure from McQueen’s reputation as a destination for rigorous tailoring. Subsequent collections were more tightly executed but struggled to reinvigorate market interest.
By 2025, estimated revenue had fallen below €200 million, down from €800 million at its peak. Owner Kering explored a sale before embarking on a sweeping restructuring of the brand. In June, McQueen named a new chief executive from Prada, Gianfranco d’Attis.
Kering is facing creative transitions across its portfolio in a luxury market that remains rocky. The departure of Saint Laurent’s creative director Anthony Vaccarello was announced last week, while industry sources say Pierpaolo Piccioli’s tenure at Balenciaga is also nearing an end. Brioni is also without a designer. Flagship label Gucci has appeared to be inching toward a turnaround under new creative director Demna, but renewed struggles for luxury in the key Chinese market could put pressure on the Italian mega-brand’s relaunch.
McQueen is one of Kering’s smallest but trickiest dossiers: the memory of founder Lee’s theatricality, technical virtuosity and iconoclastic spirit still looms large in fashion. Reconnecting with that vision without appearing ersatz is a challenge, particularly as manufacturing costs for ready-to-wear rise and marketing budgets come under pressure.
“I would like to thank Seán for his contribution and dedication to Alexander McQueen,” Kering CEO Luca de Meo said. “Our ambition is to establish a bold new direction for the house, building on its unique heritage of exceptional tailoring, uncompromising creativity and rebellion to reaffirm its position as one of the most innovative and culturally relevant voices in luxury.”
