Massimiliano Giornetti leaves Salvatore Ferragamo

After 16 years of leading the charge at Salvatore Ferragamo, creative director Massimiliano Giornetti has announced his resignation with his recent AW16 show in Milan to be his last for the brand. Giornetti’s sudden exit follows that of his high-profile peers: Raf Simons at Dior, Alber Elbaz at Lanvin, Stefano Pilati at Ermenegildo Zegna, Alessandro Sartori at Berluti and John Ray at Dunhill.

A spokesperson for the brand cites “just cause” as the reason for Giornetti’s departure but given the recent exodus of creative heads at top tier brands, one cannot help but question the quick turns the fashion industry has been taking. Designers face immense pressure: churning out collection after collection with hardly time to sit still and think. Is the direct-to-consumer approach the appropriate solution to the fast-paced nature of this evolving beast? Only time can truly tell but like the phoenix, perhaps things need to be burned to ashes in order to be given a beautiful new life.