GU has appointed Francesco Risso to be its new creative director, six months after the Italian designer left the same position at Marni.
Francesco Risso at the GQ Awards
“As part of its corporate direction to strengthen the global presence of Group brand GU, Fast Retailing is pleased to announce today the appointment of Francesco Risso as GU’s creative director,” said Fast Retailing in a group memo.
GU is a significant label in the giant Japanese group Fast Retailing, whose flagship marque is Uniqlo.
Risso’s brief is to shape GU’s creative direction as it enters its next phase of growth. His debut collection for GU is scheduled for Fall/Winter 2026.
Alongside his appointment at GU, Risso, who helmed the collaborative Uniqlo and Marni collection of 2022, will also develop a new collaboration line with Uniqlo, set to launch in 2026.
“I want more than ever to make real clothes for real people. It is crucial that the future of fashion is charged with meaning and purpose. But for imagination to find its full potential, bold ideas must have an infrastructure to reach people all over the world,” said Risso.
Risso studied fashion in Florence, New York, and London. He spent a decade at Prada, developing a rigorous approach to narrative and craft while gaining extensive design experience.
From 2016 to 2025 he served as creative director at Marni, shaping a boldly original vision for the house inspired by music, art, and cultural exploration. His Avant-garde shows were some of the highlights of Milan Fashion Week, noted for their remarkable performance art installations. While his one famed American show for Marni staged under the Brooklyn Bridge, where he accompanied an orchestra playing cello, was a legendary fashion moment.
A passionate educator, Risso has also held guest positions at the world’s top art and design schools.
With this move, Risso becomes the latest noted European designer to accept a full-time position with a mass market Asian label since Kim Jones became creative director for Areal, a new luxury sub-brand from Chinese down outerwear giant Bosideng, in October.
GU likes to style itself as “trend-forward fashion with a touch of Tokyo.” The name ‘GU’ comes from the Japanese word for freedom and is pronounced “jee-you.” GU was established in 2006 and currently operates approximately 480 stores in Asia, with e-commerce sites in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan.
GU arrived in the US in 2024, opening its first flagship store outside Asia in New York, at 578 Broadway in Soho, as well e-tailing internationally from its GU global online store.
