Marco De Vincenzo Exits Etro

MILAN — There’s no stopping the game of fashion musical chairs: Etro and its creative director Marco De Vincenzo have ended their collaboration after almost four years.

According to a brief statement released Thursday, the decision was reached by mutual agreement and “aligns with a new strategic phase for the brand.”

“Etro wishes to express its gratitude to Marco De Vincenzo for his dedication, professionalism, and creative contribution over the years, and extends its best wishes for his future projects,” said the statement. “The maison now looks to the next developments with confidence, continuing its journey of enhancing its lifestyle identity and creative heritage, in continuity with the innovation and the values that have always distinguished it.”

De Vincenzo joined the Italian company in 2022, when he was named creative director overseeing women’s and men’s wear and the home category, too.

His first designs bowed for spring 2023 in September 2022 during Milan Women’s Fashion Week. Ever since, he looked to balance his own handwriting with the brand’s escapist ethos and rich textile heritage tracing back to 1968. His contribution was particularly significant on the accessories front, a category he helped rev up thanks to his longtime expertise in leather goods honed as a consultant for Fendi.

The designer, a former winner of the Vogue Italia “Who Is on Next?” talent search, has always had an eye for bold colors, labor-intensive clothes, optical effects, rich fabrics and sophisticated embellishments, as expressed by his former, namesake brand launched in 2009. The label caught the attention of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, which struck a joint venture with the Rome-based designer in 2014. In April 2021, De Vincenzo bought back his brand from LVMH and his other partner MMGP Srl.