Sarah Burton, the longtime creative director of Alexander McQueen and the late creator Lee McQueen’s former right hand, is leaving the Kering-owned brand, the company announced in a statement.

It will be McQueen’s last appearance for the house during the Paris Fashion Week event in September. Her replacement will be revealed “in due course,” the business added.

After graduating from Central Saint Martins, Burton returned to Alexander McQueen as a full-time designer after beginning her employment there as an intern. After only two years at the company, she was appointed head of womenswear design in 2000. Burton was chosen as McQueen’s successor after his passing in 2010 and charged with carrying on the late designer’s legacy.

Burton led McQueen and went on to become one of the fashion world’s most renowned designers in her own right. She did this by bringing the brand to life with runway collections that fused poetry and practicality. While refocusing the brand’s narrative away from the deep gloom that characterized McQueen under its founder, she added an air of edgy glamour.

Burton’s resignation comes after an executive shake-up at McQueen, where former CEO Emmanuel Gintzburger was replaced by Gianfillippo Testa, a former retail leader at Kering flagship Gucci, last year after Gintzburger went for Capri-owned Versace.

“We want to thank Sarah sincerely for adding such a significant chapter to the story of the Alexander McQueen House. Sarah’s 26-year service will be forever remembered, according to CEO Testa.

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