Saint Laurent's creative director Anthony Vaccarello leaves after a decade, with no successor yet named

Kering's Saint Laurent is parting with Anthony Vaccarello after ten years as creative director, with no successor yet named — leaving the Japanese stores that carry the house, in a market worth 7% of its parent group's sales, waiting to learn whose collections come next.

The floortok desk · 2 min read · 10 October 2026

Editorial illustration of a couture atelier after hours: an empty dressmaker's mannequin in a black tailored jacket beside a cutting table of swatches and shears, a rail of black garments, and a silhouetted figure seen from behind walking out through a lit doorway. — Illustration by floortok.com

Saint Laurent said on 9 October that Anthony Vaccarello, its creative director since 2016, is leaving the house, in a statement published by its parent company, Kering. The announcement named no successor and gave no date for his exit; Saint Laurent said only that it would announce its new creative leadership soon.

Kering chief executive Luca de Meo and Cedric Charbit, Saint Laurent's president and chief executive, both thanked Vaccarello for his ten years at the house in the statement, with de Meo saying the group was embarking on "a new chapter" in its history. The release did not give a reason for the departure.

What it means for Japan

Japan carries real weight for the group. Kering's first-half report put Japan at €539 million, or 7% of group revenue, in the six months to June — up 2% on a comparable basis, though down 10% as reported in euros. Its Fashion & Leather Goods division, which groups Saint Laurent with Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga and the group's other houses apart from Gucci, ran 172 directly operated stores in Japan at the end of June after closing a net 16 in the half.

That division's Japan sales fell 8% on a comparable basis over the half. Kering said they improved in the second quarter, which it put down to the yen's greater appeal after a first quarter hurt by a downturn in tourism.

The announcement also follows a half in which Kering described the house itself as gaining ground. In its July report the group said Saint Laurent's sales had picked up in most of its markets as clients responded to its newer collections, with ready-to-wear and shoes growing sharply.

In our view, those are the categories to watch in Japan: ready-to-wear and shoes are where Kering located the house's recent growth, and they change most directly with the designer. Until Saint Laurent names its next creative lead, that is the open question for the buyers and the stores that carry it. The house has said only that the answer is coming soon.