Kering has confirmed Seán McGirr's departure from the creative direction of Alexander McQueen. The Irish designer had joined the Maison in October 2023, succeeding Sarah Burton, who had spent 26 years at the company, including 13 as creative director, a position she was appointed to in 2010.
Before McQueen, Seán McGirr had held the position of head of ready-to-wear at JW Anderson, after stints at Dries Van Noten, Burberry and Uniqlo. His last collection for the Maison was presented on 20 September at Lincoln's Inn Chapel, in Londres, marking the brand's return to the British capital after years of shows in Paris.
In a statement, Seán McGirr explained that « Ma vision pour Alexander McQueen reposait sur le dialogue entre une beauté brute, viscérale et humaine, et la précision et la rigueur au cœur de la Maison ». He said he was « extrêmement fier de l'énergie créative que nous avons cultivée collectivement, en ancrant notre créativité dans la culture contemporaine, et en la voyant trouver un écho auprès de personnalités parmi les plus audacieuses et expressives des univers de l'art, de la musique, du cinéma et bien d'autres encore ».
A turnaround under pressure
McQueen is running a turnaround programme aimed at restoring profitability and reducing its global commercial footprint, after already closing 20 stores during the first half of the year. Kering's 2025 results had shown that the Maison's losses continued to weigh on the profitability of its portfolio of smaller luxury brands, despite restructuring efforts already under way. The Maison had confirmed earlier in the year that it was cutting part of its workforce.
Luca de Meo, chief executive of Kering, said that « l'ambition [du groupe] est de donner à la Maison une direction audacieuse, en s'appuyant sur son héritage unique, marqué par un tailoring exceptionnel, une créativité sans compromis et un esprit de rébellion, afin de réaffirmer sa place parmi les voix les plus innovantes et culturellement pertinentes du luxe ». The change follows the appointment of Gianfranco D'Attis, a former Prada executive, as chief executive of McQueen in June, tasked with a roadmap for a return to profitability.
This departure marks the second change in artistic direction within the Kering group in under a week, after that of Anthony Vaccarello, who left Saint Laurent after ten years at its helm, made official on 9 October. Kering had indicated at the time that a successor would be named shortly, though this has yet to be confirmed. The group has also seen several changes in artistic direction in recent months, at Gucci, Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta.
This sequence of departures extends beyond the Kering group alone: Veronica Leoni has also left Calvin Klein Collection after four seasons, ending a brief but closely watched attempt to restore prestige to the American house on the runway. Calvin Klein has not named a successor, with the company stating that a new creative leadership structure would be revealed « en temps voulu ». At McQueen, a new creative direction is expected to be announced soon, as Kering's financial results are due on 22 October.
