Izumi Sasano takes over as head of US

A new leader for Giorgio Armani Corporation, the American subsidiary of the Italian luxury group. After almost twenty years at the helm of Giorgio Armani Japan, Izumi Sasano has been promoted to CEO of the American entity, where he will be responsible for the United States, Canada, Mexico and Brazil. He succeeds Gaetano Sciuto, who joined Armani in 2019 from Fendi and left to head Maison Margiela last July.

In his new role, which he will assume on December 1, Sasano will continue to report to Giuseppe Marsocci, deputy managing director and commercial director of Armani Group. He will be replaced as head of Japan by Kazumasa Tsuchihashi.

Sasano has over twenty years experience in the luxury goods industry. After nineteen years with the Japanese multinational Sony, where he held senior positions in Europe, the manager switched to fashion in 2000, joining Chanel’s Japanese subsidiary and taking over its management. Then, in 2006, he moved to Giorgio Armani, again in Japan.

“Izumi Sasano has excelled in Japan and the Pacific region, and I’m sure he will continue to do so in this new, broader role, to which he will also bring a different cultural perspective. This type of exchange is fundamental to the constant progress and enrichment of Armani Group, values that are at the heart of my philosophy,” stresses Giorgio Armani, the founder, designer and boss of the Italian group.

It is indeed a strategic market that Sasano is preparing to lead, where the brand has more than 300 boutiques. The United States, in particular, has become a key market, where the Italian fashion house saw its sales jump by almost 20% last year. In its 2022 financial year, the Armani group generated sales of €2.35 billion. This 16.5% increase was accompanied by a 25% rise in gross operating profit (Ebitda), to 289 million euros.