SABATO's Way

hor GUCCI creative director SABATO DE SARNO, remaking the storied Italian HOUSE for a NEW ERA isnt about OUTRUNNING its PAST. ts about MAKING some HISTORY ofhis OWN.

- BROOKE BOBB

There's a ghost in the Gucci archive. On a tour of the space, a 15th-century palazzo located on the left bank of the Arno River in Florence, Italy, I'm told that the ghost is thought to be the house's founder, Guccio Gucci. Strange noises have been reported emanating from unoccupied rooms in the building.

To be sure, this site has stories to tell. The former Gucci factory and workshop now contains primary artifacts from the house's 103-year history, including Guccio Gucci's Horsebit loafers, artist Vittorio Accornero's Flora drawings, Tom Ford's red velvet suit, and Alessandro Michele's Dionysus bag. Taken together, they paint a picture of a globally renowned luxury brand.

Currently at the helm, tasked with writing the next chapter for Gucci, sits 41-year-old Sabato De Sarno, now one year into the daunting job. We meet in a high-ceilinged, wood-paneled room that looks like a library, only instead of rare books on the shelves there are bags. Lining the walls in glass cases are some of the most famous and recognizable ones of all time: the Jackie, the Bamboo 1947, the Blondie. "Stupendo," De Sarno says as his eyes dart around the room and he excitedly recalls the histories and points out the intricacies of some of his favorites. "It's a magical place," he says. "All these pieces represent a different moment of Gucci. It's not just pieces of leather or clothes or a brand-it's a story. And I want to continue to tell this story."

De Sarno is in his standard uniform of a boxy, logoless black T-shirt with black jeans and sneakers. "If you see me in a white T-shirt, it's a really bad day," he tells me. "I'll wear white when I need something to make me feel brighter. I use clothes as a language. But most days, I wear total black because I'm a very positive person."