Sabato De Sarno has finally 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 Autumn/Winter 2027–2028.
The appointment marks De Sarno’s first major creative-director role since Gucci and brings him to a house with a markedly different proposition. Founded in Shanghai in 1997, ICICLE has built its identity around natural materials, craftsmanship and its philosophy of “Oneness between Human and Nature,” translated through a contemporary fashion language.
That focus appears central to De Sarno’s attraction to the brand. The designer says he has long been fascinated by design beyond the finished product, from the origins of raw materials to the craftsmanship that shapes them, adding that ICICLE’s relationship between humans and nature feels more relevant than ever.
The appointment also maintains continuity within ICICLE’s womenswear. Bénédicte Laloux, who has played a central role in shaping the women’s creative identity and Paris Design Studio since 2013, will continue as Design Director of the Women’s Show Collection, working under De Sarno’s creative direction.
De Sarno began his career at Prada in 2003 before moving to Dolce & Gabbana and then Valentino in 2009, where he rose to Fashion Director overseeing both men’s and women’s ready-to-wear. He was appointed Creative Director of Gucci in 2023.
ICICLE, the flagship brand of ICCF Group, now operates more than 200 stores worldwide, including flagship locations in Beijing, Shanghai and Paris. With its dual Paris-Shanghai structure and vertically integrated approach to fashion and manufacturing, the house offers De Sarno a distinctly different platform for his next chapter.
View this post on Instagram