Chinese luxury fashion brand Icicle has appointed Italian designer Sabato De Sarno as its new creative director, bringing the former Gucci designer into one of China’s fastest-growing luxury fashion groups at a pivotal stage of its international expansion.
De Sarno will oversee Icicle’s creative direction across women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, accessories and eyewear. His first collection for the brand will be presented for the Autumn/Winter 2027-2028 season.
The appointment comes just months after French luxury giant Kering, which owns Gucci, announced a strategic partnership with Icicle’s parent company, ICCF Group, and acquired a minority stake in the group. Kering said the investment would support Icicle’s continued international expansion and the development of new product categories.
The connection gives De Sarno’s appointment an added strategic dimension. Rather than simply bringing in a high-profile European designer, Icicle is combining international creative leadership with its established Chinese manufacturing base, retail infrastructure and Eastern-inspired brand identity.
Founded in Shanghai in 1997 by Ye Shouzeng and Shawna Tao, Icicle has developed a design structure spanning Shanghai and Paris and now operates more than 200 stores worldwide, including flagship locations in Beijing, Shanghai and Paris.
Ye Shouzeng, Icicle’s co-founder and CEO, said the company’s ambition since its founding has been to reconnect people with nature through fashion designed to last. He described De Sarno’s arrival as an important step in bringing international creative talent together with Icicle’s cultural roots and industrial strength in China.
De Sarno said he was attracted to Icicle by the alignment between the brand’s principles and his own creative philosophy, particularly its focus on raw materials, craftsmanship and the relationship between people and nature.
The appointment also brings De Sarno back into Kering’s orbit. He led Gucci, Kering’s flagship luxury brand, from 2023 until February 2025. Before Gucci, De Sarno spent more than a decade at Valentino, eventually becoming fashion director overseeing both men’s and women’s collections, after earlier roles at Prada and Dolce & Gabbana.
Kering acquired a minority stake in Icicle’s parent company, ICCF Group, in April 2026. The investment was positioned as part of Kering’s effort to strengthen its understanding of the Chinese luxury ecosystem while supporting Icicle’s international development. ICCF also owns French fashion label Carven.
Icicle’s expansion strategy is broader than simply adding stores. The company has established Paris boutiques, expanded its wholesale presence and joined the official Paris Fashion Week schedule, while considering additional international locations, including London and Milan. The brand is also developing new categories such as handbags, footwear and accessories.
For the franchise sector, Icicle represents a different model from the conventional franchise-led international expansion strategy. The company’s growth has largely been built around a controlled retail network and its vertically integrated operating structure rather than a large franchise estate. Its more than 200 stores and flagship strategy allow Icicle to maintain tighter control over merchandising, store design and customer experience as it moves into international markets.
The move also highlights a growing flow of European creative talent toward Asian fashion companies. Other recent examples include former Dior Men’s artistic director Kim Jones working with Chinese group Bosideng’s luxury label Areal and former Marni creative director Francesco Risso taking the creative helm at Fast Retailing-owned GU.
For Icicle, De Sarno’s appointment comes as the brand seeks to translate its nature-led Chinese identity into a stronger international luxury proposition. His first collection, for Autumn/Winter 2027-28, will be the first major indication of how the former Gucci designer intends to reshape the brand’s global creative direction.
