Demna Gvasalia is Gucci’s new creative director

After months of speculation, conjectures, rumors And hypothesis, the official confirmation arrives now: Gucci has a new creative director and – surprisingly – he is Demna Gvasalia, to date creative director of Balenciaga.

The rumor had become persistent in the last few hours, so as to overcome the other unnamed hypotheses in recent months: the Georgian designer has had the better of Hedi Slimane, long given in pole position for the area but not easy role, and on Dario Vitale, fresh from appointment to the creative direction of Versace.

To stay updated on the royalty, the celebrities, the shows and all the news from the world Vanity Fairsubscribe to ours Newsletter.

The throne occupied until last February 6th from Saturday De Sarno, Creative Director of Gucci for two years, from which the Maison has been unexpectedly separated to a handful of days from the presentation of the Milanese fashion week in the autumn-winter 2025/26 collection, remained so vacant for a few weeks.

The announcement comes with a shared post on Gucci’s Instagram profile, with a portrait and one caption reporting Gvasalia’s first declaration in this rolewhich will hold starting from July 2025. “I am really excited to join the Gucci family” reads “it is an honor to contribute to one Maison that respects deeply and that I have been admiring for some time. I can’t wait to write together with Stefano and the whole team a new chapter of Gucci’s extraordinary story ».

Born from Russian mother and Georgian father in 1981 in Sokhumi, Demna Gvasalia He abandoned his homeland due to the civil war of 1991-93, to settle first in Tbilisi, then in Ukraine, Russia and finally in Düsseldorf, Germany. Carry out financial studies, but renounces the banking career to move to Belgium to study at the renowned Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Antwerpwhere he graduated. He then works as an assistant to Martin Margiela since 2009 and for three years, after which he has landed by Louis Vuittonthen under the creative guidance of Marc Jacobs. In 2014 he left the brand to found his own brand, Vetements: The success is immediate and overwhelming, so as to bring the brand among the finalists of the LVMH Young Fashion Designer Prize of 2015, award promoted by the French group of the Arnault family to support young stylists. Shortly afterwards the prestigious call of the Kering group arrives, who chooses him as creative director of Balenciagaafter the not very happy period of creative direction by Alexander Wang. Role occupied with great success – and some controversy – until today: François -Henri Pinault, president and CEO of the Kering group, “promotes” it to the group admiral brand, in the hope of replicating the success grabbed in Balenciaga.