Gucci reportedly plans to move its creative headquarters from Rome to Milan, causing outrage among employees. More than 50 creatives have gone on strike at the Italian luxury fashion company, fearing that the relocation will lead to mass layoffs.
The strike is an unprecedented event in Gucci's over 100-year history and was reported by the British newspaper "The Guardian." On Monday, employees stopped work for four hours and held up banners in front of the offices in Rome with phrases like "Gucci cuts, but doesn't sew" and "At Gucci, dismissal is in fashion.
The employees are concerned about the company's plans to move 153 of the total 219 design employees from the Italian capital to distant Milan. According to Chiara Giannotti, a union representative, the design office in Rome is the "heart of Gucci," where designers work and all collections are created. She claimed that the French luxury goods group Kering, to which Gucci belongs, is using the relocation as a pretext to reduce staff and dismiss employees who are unwilling to leave Rome due to family commitments.
Gucci itself emphasized, however, that the planned relocation would not entail mass layoffs and would be carried out in accordance with applicable regulations. The company stated that it had also provided compensation offers for the affected employees. Nevertheless, the employees' concerns due to the distance between the two cities and the possible changes to their work and living situation are understandable.
The relocation of the design studio is part of a larger restructuring of Gucci that the company announced in October. Currently, the company is led by Alessandro Michele, the creative director of Gucci, who took over the design department in 2015 and has since been responsible for rebuilding the brand.
Although the planned move from Rome to Milan may seem like a simple business decision at first glance, it has unintended consequences for employees and causes controversy within the company. It remains to be seen how this development will affect Gucci's reputation and future.
