After just one fashion show, Dario Vitale is already handing over the creative reins at Versace, now owned by the Prada group. The man who had previously worked on the remarkable rise of Miu Miu did not necessarily have the right profile to follow in the baroque and sexy footsteps of the fashion house, which had until then been led by the flamboyant Donatella Versace.
A quick tour and he’s gone… already.
Dario Vitale did not last long as Versace’s creative director and will be leaving on December 12.
“We would like to sincerely thank Dario for his exceptional contribution to the development of the brand’s creative strategy during this period of transition, and we wish him all the best for the future of his career,” the Italian fashion house said in a statement.
Replacing Donatella Versace
Dario Vitale was appointed last March, with the heavy responsibility of replacing Donatella Versace, who had been at the helm of the fashion house founded by her brother Gianni, who tragically passed away in 1997, for almost 30 years. A month later, plans were announced for the acquisition of the Milan-based fashion house by the Prada group, also based in Italy’s economic capital… The deal was finalized on December 2.
However, Dario Vitale was far from being a stranger to the Prada group. Under the leadership of Miuccia Prada and alongside Fabio Zambernardi, creative director of the Prada and Miu Miu brands until September 2023, he joined Miu Miu in 2010 and rose through the ranks to become director of ready-to-wear design and image, a position he left last January. In this role, he contributed significantly to the exponential growth of the Prada group’s more accessible brand in recent seasons.
Born in 1983 near Naples and graduating in 2006 from the Marangoni Institute, Dario Vitale has worked with Italian fashion houses since the beginning of his career: Dsquared2, then Bottega Veneta (owned by Kering since 2001) and finally Miu Miu.
A fresh perspective
When handing over her responsibilities, Donatella Versace said she was “delighted that Dario Vitale is joining the House” and explained that she was “looking forward to seeing Versace through fresh eyes.”
For his part, the brand’s CEO, Emmanuel Gintzburger, saw Dario Vitale as “a rare talent who deeply respects the essence and values of Versace and understands its growth potential” and said he and his team were convinced that “his experience and vision” would bring “a new perspective to the brand.”
But perhaps the huge gap between Miu Miu’s fresh and sparkling collections and Versace’s sophisticated, baroque, and flamboyant style ultimately proved too difficult for Dario Vitale to bridge?
In the end, he organized only one show for Versace, for the Spring/Summer 2026 collection.
Donatella’s notable absence
This show completely divided critics. Some saw it as the dawn of a new era for the fashion house and praised the designer’s ability to combine its sophisticated and sexy DNA with a more modern vision. Others lamented the break with the past and the watering down of the ultra-glamorous and flamboyant spirit that had previously animated Versace. And the absence of Donatella, now the brand’s chief ambassador, from the show could be interpreted as a rejection of this new proposal…
We now await the name of the next designer who will be able to embody the new Versace without upsetting its aficionados.
Lorenzo Bertelli, eldest son of Miuccia Prada, CEO and co-creative director of Prada, and Patrizio Bertelli, the group’s president, appointed executive chairman of Versace, and Andrea Guerra, CEO of Prada, have declared themselves “convinced they can bring Versace back to success.”
Lorenzo also explained that he wants to “bring its business back to the level of the brand’s greatness,” but without rushing, convinced that “it will take time.”
This rebirth is necessary as the company ended its 2024-2025 fiscal year at the end of March with a sharp decline in comparable sales (-20.3% to $821 million). And in which its future designer, whose appointment will be scrutinized with interest, will play a key role…
Read also > Versace passes into Prada’s fold on December 2
Featured photo: © Versace
