Despite delivering one of the most acclaimed debut collections of the SS26 season, the designer will depart on 12 December as Versace undergoes its most sweeping transformation since Gianni’s passing
Prada Group officially acquired Versace on Tuesday in a $1.25 billion deal. It’s a new beginning for Versace, but curtains forcreative director Dario Vitale, who made a powerful and much talked-about debut show in September – his first and last for the house. He will exit the brand on 12 December.
“We would like to sincerely thank Dario for his outstanding contribution to the development of the brand’s creative strategy during this transition period, and we wish him all the very best in his future endeavors,” the brand said in a statement.
There’s been much speculation around Vitale’s potential departure. Vitale was hired in March shortly before the Prada Group sale was announced in April, replacing Donatella Versace as the first non-family member to helm the brand. The Neapolitan designer, formerly design director at Prada Group-owned Miu Miu, left the brand after more than 14 years to take the Versace posting, placing a question mark over the designer’s future under Prada Group ownership. Even without this context, it’s commonplace for new owners to prompt a creative reshuffle at luxury brands.
Photo: Stef Mitchell
Then there’s Donatella Versace, who was crucial to Versace’s sustained cultural gravitas, even as sales faltered over recent years, and remains a global ambassador for the house. When the Prada sale was announced in April, she celebrated with a post on Instagram and pledged her support. “I am honoured to have the brand in the hands of such a trusted Italian family business and I am ready to support this new era for the brand in any way that I can,” she wrote. Donatella didn’t attend Vitale’s Spring/Summer 2026 show, which was a late addition to the calendar.
Despite the above, many will be surprised by Prada Group’s move. Vitale’s first outing was one of the most celebrated debut shows of the SS26 season, perhaps only overshadowed on the final day of Paris Fashion Week by Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel.
The next designer to take the role will now steer the brand’s turnaround. Versace’s previous owner, Capri Holdings, had aligned the label with premium players, diluting its luxury positioning. Under Vitale’s vision, Versace was re-positioned firmly in the luxury category, which analysts had advised was the way forward for the label, with pieces ranging from €900 for belts to over €26,000 for special gowns, based on early insights from a Moda Operandi trunk show. While one collection can’t save a brand, there was momentum behind Vitale’s vision and elevated positioning.
With new ownership, new executive leadership and a yet-to-be-announced new creative director, Versace is undergoing its most significant transformation since the death of founder Gianni Versace in 1997. Versace said in its statement that the next creative director will be announced “in due course”, with the creative team operating under CEO Emmanuel Gintzburger.
Originally published on Vogue Business.