McQueen restructuring plan: one-third of Italian workforce at risk

British luxury brand McQueen could lay off one-third of its Italian employees, according to a statement released by three local unions on Wednesday.

The company's management has announced a restructuring plan. According to the unions Filctem CGIL, Femca CISL and Uiltec, this plan involves cutting approximately one-third of the total workforce. Production processes are also set to be reorganised to reduce costs. Currently, 120 employees in Italy design clothing, shoes and bags for McQueen. The production sites are located near Florence and Milan.

Restructuring plan for McQueen

McQueen confirmed to the news agency AFP that “a formal consultation process with the unions within the Italian subsidiary” has been initiated. The exact number of affected positions was not specified.

According to the brand's management, this process is “part of the group-wide effort to return the company to sustainable profitability over the next three years. This will lay the foundation for the long-term future of McQueen”.

In October 2025, the British brand had already announced plans to cut 55 jobs at its London headquarters, where its collections are designed. This represents around 20 percent of the local workforce.

The French Kering Group, which also owns Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent and Balenciaga, is suffering from the challenging conditions in the global luxury market. The group's revenue fell by a further 10 percent to 3.4 billion euros (4.06 billion dollars) in the third quarter of 2025.

“The management has painted an extremely critical economic picture for the period from 2022 to 2025 and described an emergency situation,” the Italian unions stated. During this period, revenue reportedly decreased by 60 percent.

The unions are demanding “maximum transparency regarding the industrial plan and recovery strategies”. They are also calling for “the activation of all synergies within the group to minimise the social impact of the restructuring”. This applies particularly to the partner companies responsible for production.

A meeting with Luca De Meo, who has been appointed as the new chief executive officer tasked with the restructuring of the Kering Group, is scheduled for February 5 in Italy.

On Wednesday, Kering stated it was “convinced that these measures will strengthen McQueen's position in the global luxury market. They will enable the brand to better align with its strategic goals and operational needs”.

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