When Hedi Slimane took Kering to court

The departure of Sabato De Sarno from Gucci has sparked a wave of speculation about who might take the creative helm of Kering's most important brand. Among the rumored names are Dario Vitale, former design director at Miu Miu, who, according to whispers, could also be about to join Versace, but above all Hedi Slimane, a French designer who needs no introduction. Slimane has served as creative director for Dior Homme, Saint Laurent, and Celine, from which he stepped down last October. After leaving the brand, the designer opened a new Instagram account named @hedislimanehomme, presented as an anthology collection of his career in fashion and photography, rich with anecdotes. Needless to say, the account's launch has ignited numerous rumors of a potential return of the designer to the spotlight—a designer who, it should be noted, typically shies away from public exposure. Yet, at least in theory, Slimane could revitalize the brand because, quite simply, that’s what he has always done: at Dior Homme, he took Dior's menswear beyond licensing and basic tailoring; at Saint Laurent, he created the maison’s nocturnal and rock mood, which remained its hallmark for years; at Celine, he transformed a nearly niche brand into a billion-euro business. Hedi Slimane’s style is characterized by an aesthetic consistency that transcends the houses he has directed. Each of his tenures features a reinterpretation of the brand's identity through his personal vision: an aesthetic heavily influenced by grunge and post-punk, black-and-white imagery, and an attitude evoking the allure of '70s rock band frontmen—all paired with an extraordinary ability to boost sales. The French designer’s modus operandi could be described as the “Slimane effect”: the desaturation of a maison’s codes, followed by the introduction of his well-defined and unchanging aesthetic grammar, accompanied by a dramatic increase in sales and profits.

Under his leadership, Celine experienced exponential growth, rising from €728 million in 2021 to €2 billion in January 2023, making it LVMH’s third-largest brand. Of course, these results didn’t come without challenges: a report by Miss Tweed on the brand stated that the designer insisted on working from his Villa Kerouac in Ramatuelle instead of going to Paris, demanded extremely high fees as a photographer and stylist in addition to his creative director role for the brand’s campaigns over which he had total control, and refused to hold live runway shows—furthermore, he clashed with Anna Wintour, resulting in his collections being excluded from Vogue Runway. These challenges reportedly led to the separation between the designer and LVMH, whose executives, it seems, replaced him when the brand had become a commercial giant. Recalling Hedi, however, could be a viable solution to revive Gucci’s fortunes, as the brand is currently experiencing difficulties, with revenues plunging 20% to €4.1 billion in 2024. Nonetheless, the prospect of Slimane joining Gucci faces a significant hurdle: his troubled relationship with Kering, the group led by François Pinault, which owns Gucci. The relationship between Slimane and Kering has been marked by intense tensions, culminating in several legal battles that deeply affected their rapport, with the luxury conglomerate ultimately paying him over €10 million after losing.

In 2012, Slimane was appointed creative director of Yves Saint Laurent, a brand owned by the Kering group, initiating a radical transformation of the maison. He removed "Yves" from the name, retaining only "Saint Laurent," and introduced a new aesthetic that significantly impacted sales. Before his arrival, in 2011, the brand reported revenues of approximately €353 million. Under his leadership, revenue doubled to €707 million in 2014, reaching about €974 million in 2015. However, in 2016, after four years at the helm, Slimane’s contract was not renewed, and the designer was effectively dismissed. Following his departure, Slimane filed a lawsuit against Kering in June 2016, challenging the revocation of his non-compete clause. According to the designer, the group unilaterally canceled the clause without paying the agreed compensation, which amounted to approximately €13 million. Slimane argued that despite the contract termination, he was still entitled to the payment stipulated in the original agreement.

Beyond the non-compete clause dispute, the conflict between Slimane and Kering escalated in March 2018, when the Paris Commercial Court ordered the luxury giant to pay him €9.3 million related to the variable portion of his compensation for his final year as Saint Laurent's creative director. Subsequently, the Paris Court of Appeal further ordered Saint Laurent to compensate him with an additional €618,000 (plus €80,000 in legal fees) for the use of photographs and videos created by Slimane without his consent after his dismissal. The legal dispute between Slimane and Kering concluded with a victory for Slimane, who secured a total compensation of €20 million from the group. Despite the speculation, the likelihood of Slimane taking the reins at Gucci seems rather slim, given the long and fierce legal battle that has marred his relationship with the group. These legal precedents with Kering represent a significant obstacle that makes reconciliation between the parties seem somewhat improbable. Nevertheless, the debate over what kind of designer is needed to save the brand—and Kering as a whole—is raging in fashion circles: should it be a star designer who can reliably attract crowds or a fresh name capable of bringing innovation and vision to the brand? "The name of Gucci’s new creative director will be announced soon," stated Francesca Bellettini, deputy CEO of Kering, so perhaps the wait won’t be long.