Anthony Vaccarello has left Saint Laurent after ten years as creative director, Kering confirmed on Friday, October 9, 2026. As of October 18, no successor has been confirmed, though Chloé's Chemena Kamali is widely reported to be the front-runner.
His spring/summer 2027 show at the Trocadéro in Paris on September 29, with the Eiffel Tower lit up behind the runway, turned out to be his last.
Quick facts
| Role | Creative director, Saint Laurent |
| Tenure | April 2016 to October 2026 |
| Predecessor | Hedi Slimane |
| Final show | Spring/summer 2027, Trocadéro, Paris, September 29, 2026 |
| Departure confirmed | October 9, 2026, by Kering |
| Successor | Not yet announced |
What Kering and Saint Laurent said
Kering chief executive Luca de Meo: "I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Anthony for his contribution to Saint Laurent over the past ten years."
Saint Laurent president and chief executive Cédric Charbit said Vaccarello "took Saint Laurent on a remarkable trajectory, elevating the House to the forefront of desirability and image."
The house said only that it would "soon announce its new creative leadership." Vaccarello himself has not issued a personal statement.
Why did Anthony Vaccarello leave Saint Laurent?
No one has said publicly. According to a Barclays note reported by Haute Living, Kering told analysts the decision reflected Saint Laurent's longer-term prospects and was not about recent financial performance.
The numbers are part of the backdrop either way. Under Vaccarello, Saint Laurent's revenue roughly tripled, peaking at about €3.3 billion, according to Business of Fashion figures cited by FashionUnited. Growth slowed from 2023 as aspirational shoppers pulled back, and revenue fell to about €2.6 billion in 2025. The house returned to growth in the first half of 2026.
Who will replace him?
Officially, nobody yet.
The name in almost every report is Chemena Kamali, creative director of Chloé since 2023. WWD, Reuters and Wallpaper have all reported she is the favourite. She knows the house: she was Saint Laurent's women's ready-to-wear design director from 2016 to 2023, working under Vaccarello. W magazine noted she would be the first woman to lead Saint Laurent's creative direction.
Neither Saint Laurent nor Chloé has confirmed anything. Chloé's owner, Richemont, did not immediately respond to Reuters.
Whoever gets the job will inherit a clear brief. Barclays analysts expect a focus on women's daywear, menswear, high-end leather goods and China, and Kering wants Saint Laurent to more than double menswear sales and triple jewelry sales by 2030, according to British Vogue.
Saint Laurent's creative directors
| Years | Creative director | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1961–2002 | Yves Saint Laurent | Founder; led haute couture until he retired |
| 1998–1999 | Alber Elbaz | Rive Gauche ready-to-wear |
| 1999–2004 | Tom Ford | Ready-to-wear, after Gucci Group bought the house |
| 2004–2012 | Stefano Pilati | |
| 2012–2016 | Hedi Slimane | Renamed ready-to-wear "Saint Laurent" |
| 2016–2026 | Anthony Vaccarello | |
| 2026– | To be announced |
A designer who made films
Vaccarello's decade wasn't only about clothes. In 2023 he launched Saint Laurent Productions, a film production arm. Its first project was Pedro Almodóvar's short Western Strange Way of Life, starring Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal, and its credits include Emilia Pérez. It made Saint Laurent a regular presence at Cannes not just on the red carpet but on the credits.
What happens to the film arm without him has not been addressed.
What's next for Vaccarello?
He hasn't said. W magazine, citing Puck, reported he has no job lined up. In a 2024 interview with TheWrap he said: "The only thing you can do is to start something completely different."
He will still be on stage this autumn: he is due to receive International Designer of the Year at the CFDA Fashion Awards on November 2 and is nominated for Designer of the Year at The Fashion Awards on November 30, according to WWD.
Part of a bigger shake-up
Vaccarello's exit is one of several at Kering under de Meo, who joined in 2025 with a mandate to restructure the group. A week later, Kering announced that Seán McGirr was leaving Alexander McQueen. Kering reports third-quarter sales on October 22.
What to watch
The announcement. Saint Laurent says new creative leadership is coming "soon." If it's Kamali, Chloé will need a successor too.
The first collection. The next Saint Laurent show will be the new designer's first test, and the clearest signal of where Kering wants the house to go.
Vaccarello's next move, whether in fashion or in film.
Published Sunday, October 18, 2026. Reports that Chemena Kamali is the leading candidate come from WWD, Reuters and Wallpaper and have not been confirmed by Saint Laurent, Kering, Chloé or Richemont. Revenue figures are from Business of Fashion as cited by FashionUnited.
