Sabato De Sarno has found his next house. The former Gucci creative director has been appointed Creative Director of ICICLE, the Shanghai-founded luxury label with dual roots in Shanghai and Paris. He will oversee the brand’s women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, accessories and eyewear, with his first collection arriving for Fall/Winter 2027–28.
The move marks De Sarno’s first major creative-director role since leaving Gucci in February 2025, where his tenure lasted just under two years. Before Gucci, the Italian designer spent more than a decade at Valentino, eventually becoming Fashion Director overseeing both men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, following earlier roles at Prada and Dolce & Gabbana.
ICICLE represents a markedly different proposition. Founded in Shanghai in 1997, the brand has built its identity around natural materials, craftsmanship and the philosophy of reconnecting people with nature through enduring fashion. De Sarno says it was precisely this emphasis on materials and making that drew him to the house.
The appointment also arrives at a significant moment for ICICLE. Its parent company, ICCF Group, received a minority investment from Kering earlier this year, as the group accelerates its international ambitions. ICICLE now operates more than 200 stores worldwide, with Paris serving as an important part of its growing global presence.
For De Sarno, it is a fascinating reset: less about the spectacle of a mega-house and more about materials, craftsmanship and the increasingly global language of luxury.
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