On 15 October 2026, Kering announced that Seán McGirr would step down as creative director of Alexander McQueen. The group said it would announce the new creative leadership soon; at the time of writing, no name had yet been revealed. The departure is being read not simply as a change of designer, but as the latest link in a sweeping restructuring the house has been carrying out for a year: the store network is shrinking, staff are being cut in London and Italy, and the product strategy is being steered away from sneakers and back towards its tailoring heritage.
The end of a three-year era
Irish designer McGirr arrived from JW Anderson in October 2023 to succeed Sarah Burton, who had spent 26 years at the house, 13 of them as creative director. Having previously worked at Dries Van Noten, Burberry and Uniqlo, the designer’s final show for McQueen was the Spring/Summer 2027 collection presented in London on 20 September 2026. That show marked the house’s return to London Fashion Week after many years of showing in Paris.
From McQueen: the Spring/Summer 2027 pre-collection by Seán McGirr
According to Kering’s statement, the group “will soon announce the new creative leadership”. Gianfranco D’Attis, the brand’s CEO since June 2026 and a former senior executive at Prada, said that McGirr’s contribution had helped McQueen reconnect with London. According to trade publications, the new designer’s first collection will also be staged in London; D’Attis had previously said the house is committed to showing in London from now on.
The details of the restructuring
Kering CEO Luca de Meo chose to restructure the struggling, loss-making brand rather than sell it. The main points of the plan are reported consistently across several sources:
- Store network: McQueen had reached 135 directly operated stores. De Meo announced that the network would shrink significantly by the end of 2026. The scale of the reduction varies by source: some publications write that the number of stores will be halved, others that more than half will close.
- London head office: Around 55 positions are at risk. What share of head-office staff this represents varies by source, with figures ranging from one fifth to one third.
- Italy: A collective redundancy process launched in March 2026 covers 54 of the 181 people employed at units in Scandicci, Novara and Parabiago, roughly a third of the local workforce.
- Store relocation: The flagship at 27 Old Bond Street in London is moving to a smaller unit on the same street.
From sneakers to tailoring
The key concept on the product side of the restructuring is tailoring. The house, where sneakers once accounted for close to 80 per cent of sales, was badly shaken when demand for the category weakened. The new plan reduces the weight of logo T-shirts and sneakers, and puts the cutting and construction expertise rooted in Lee Alexander McQueen’s Savile Row training back at the heart of the brand. A greater focus on womenswear within ready-to-wear is also reported as part of the plan.
From McQueen: tailoring from the Autumn/Winter 2026 campaign
This is not Kering’s only move on the creative front. This week the group appointed British designer Martine Rose as creative director of Balenciaga; you can find the details in our story on Martine Rose’s appointment at Balenciaga. Taken together, the two developments show Kering under de Meo rapidly reshaping the creative teams of its houses.
Why it matters
Alexander McQueen is one of the most powerful symbols of British fashion. Its founder’s dark romanticism, razor-sharp cuts and theatrical shows made the house the most talked-about address on the runway for decades. What is happening today also reflects the wider picture in luxury: in a period of slowing demand, groups are trying to steer brands that have become over-dependent on a single product category back to their true identity. Who the new creative director will be, how they will interpret McQueen’s emphasis on tailoring and how they will strengthen the house’s presence in London will be among the most closely watched storylines of the coming seasons.
Seen from Turkey, the process is instructive too. There is a lesson here that applies to local brands as well: growth built on a single bestseller can be fast, but lasting value is fed by a brand’s true craft. Since the new designer’s first collection will be unveiled at London Fashion Week, it is worth keeping an eye on our 2026–2027 fashion week calendar.
Sources
- Reuters (Euronext): Kering’s announcement of McGirr’s departure
- TheIndustry.fashion: McGirr’s three years and the restructuring
- nss magazine: Layoffs in Italy and London
- Jing Daily: Kering’s decision to restructure McQueen rather than sell it
- WWD: The relocation of the Old Bond Street store
Image: The Alexander McQueen store at 27 Old Bond Street, London, April 2024 — No Swan So Fine, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
