Seán McGirr Leaves McQueen After Three Years, and Kering Wants a 'Bold New Direction'

Seán McGirr is leaving McQueen. Kering confirmed on Thursday, October 15, that he is stepping down as creative director after three years, and the house said his successor will be announced soon. It's the second time in a week that Kering has lost the designer of one of its houses, after Anthony Vaccarello's exit from Saint Laurent on October 9.

McGirr was named in October 2023 to succeed Sarah Burton, who had spent 26 years at the house, and showed his first collection in March 2024. Before McQueen he was head of ready-to-wear at JW Anderson, and he'd held design roles at Dries Van Noten, Burberry and Uniqlo. His last runway show was Spring/Summer 2027 in September, which brought McQueen back to London Fashion Week, in The Undercroft at Lincoln's Inn Chapel.

What they said

In the statement published by Drapers, McGirr said his vision "was grounded in the interplay between raw, visceral, human beauty and the precision and rigor at the heart of the house," and that he was "incredibly proud of the progressive energy we cultivated as a team."

Kering CEO Luca de Meo thanked him, then looked ahead: "Our ambition is to establish a bold new direction for the House, building on its unique heritage of exceptional tailoring, uncompromising creativity and rebellion to reaffirm its position as one of the most innovative and culturally relevant voices in luxury." McQueen's president and CEO, Gianfranco D'Attis, said McGirr's "talent and passion have helped us reconnect Alexander McQueen with London, its culture, and its extraordinary creative energy."

Alexander McQueen

The timing is awkward. McQueen posted its Autumn/Winter 2026 campaign on October 14, crediting McGirr as creative director, the day before Kering announced he was going. The campaign shows silk georgette, sculpted satin and metallic knit, in the house's own words, and his Spring/Summer 2027 collection is still to reach stores.

The read

Read de Meo's words closely. Thanking the outgoing designer is routine; promising a "bold new direction" is not, and it signals Kering isn't looking for continuity. The London homecoming was framed as a reset under D'Attis, and it lasted one show. With Saint Laurent and McQueen both open at once, and Burton now at Givenchy, the question is whether Kering names both successors together, and whether McQueen's next designer keeps the house in London. Neither has been answered, and it came the same day Calvin Klein said Veronica Leoni is leaving.