He made Ikea bags chic and sold ‘destroyed’ sneakers. Now, he’s the designer of Gucci

Demna Gvasalia has been appointed as the creative director at Kering’s biggest brand.

It’s all change in the world of Italian fashion. Gucci has named Demna Gvasalia as its creative director, as the struggling luxury house seeks to turn around its fortunes. Demna — who only goes by his first name, as of 2021 — will begin his new role in early July, Gucci owner Kering confirmed to CNN via a press release. The appointment comes after Kering said last month that it would part ways with former designer Sabato De Sarno, who served as Gucci’s creative head for only two years. Sales at Kering have been weighed down by weak performance at Gucci, its biggest brand, accounting for about half of the French luxury group’s sales and two-thirds of profits. For the full 2024 year, Kering’s revenue dropped 12% to €17.2 billion ($18.6 billion), of which Gucci accounted for €7.7 billion ($8.3 billion). Kering, which also owns Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent and McQueen, praised Demna’s tenure at Balenciaga, where he has been creative director since 2015, during which he “redefined modern luxury, earning global recognition and cementing his authority on the industry,” according to an emailed statement. The group does not break out financial results for Balenciaga, which falls into its “Other Houses” category, whose revenues amounted to €3.2 billion ($3.4 billion) in 2024. Among Demna’s bestsellers at Balenciaga were the chunky Triple S sneakers and the Speed trainer with a sock-like fit. His bags, including the recent Rodeo style featuring Kim Kardashian in its campaign and Le City, revived from the 2000s, have also been met with considerable fanfare.