When Kering announced his appointment in January, Marco Bizzarri, the company's then-CEO, said De Sarno was hired to "write Gucci's next chapter, reinforcing the house's fashion authority while capitalising on its rich heritage". The word the designer uses for his take on Gucci is Italianity. Gucci, he says, "It's a very Italian brand with a huge heritage. Italian in craftsmanship, Italian in taste, and we lost that I think. I want to bring it back. Italianity is part of my story, for sure."