By Agnese Augusta Patriarca Bertoli. Cover image by Noel Johannes Nilsson
It’s been ten days since designer Dario Vitale abruptly left Versace, just two days after the brand was acquired by the Prada Group for $1.25 billion. Rumors had been circulating ever since his widely discussed September collection, but many dismissed them as too improbable to be true.
Dario Vitale’s Brief Reign at Versace: What His Departure Reveals About Prada’s Strategic Relaunch
Vitale had been appointed Creative Director of Versace at the end of March 2025, officially taking office on April 1, the same moment Donatella Versace transitioned into the role of Chief Brand Ambassador after 27 years as creative lead. His first — and ultimately only — collection for the brand was Spring/Summer 2026, unveiled during Milan Fashion Week in September. It was in the days following that runway show that whispers of a potential shake-up began circulating, later confirmed in early December. Industry insiders pointed less to a rejection of his September collection — which had actually been warmly received by both the press and major buyers — and more to the brand’s change in ownership and Prada’s desire to bring in a more “resonant” name for a strategic relaunch.
Inside the Recent Wave of Creative Leadership Changes in the Fashion Industry
In recent years, we have witnessed countless creative direction changes among the big names in the fashion industry. Between 2024 and 2025 alone, we saw an overwhelming number of shake-ups, especially within the Kering and LVMH giants. Here are some highlights: Demna left Balenciaga to become Creative Director of Gucci, succeeding Sabato De Sarno; Balenciaga appointed Pierpaolo Piccioli, fresh from his exit at Valentino; meanwhile, Valentino had already welcomed Alessandro Michele, previously at Gucci. While these shifts are mostly influenced by hype and market response, another constant factor determines how long a creative position lasts: the size and power of the brand.
So it’s no surprise to see yet another relatively unknown creative stepping down from the throne of a major maison. Fashion stopped being primarily about creativity and expression a long time ago. But something different is in the air now: we’re tired. Tired of oligarchies. And it increasingly feels like the industry is making fun of us.
Dario Vitale’s Rise in Fashion: Miu Miu, Prada, and the Path to Versace
But who is Dario Vitale? A discreet, private, and decidedly non-social figure, Vitale graduated in Fashion Design from Istituto Marangoni in Milan in 2006 and built a remarkably swift career. In 2010 he joined the Prada Group, working closely with Miuccia Prada and Fabio Zambernardi. His talent propelled him upward, and by September 2023 he became Design and Image Director for Miu Miu’s ready-to-wear, helping define the irreverent aesthetic that turned the brand into a global phenomenon. In January 2025 he left Miu Miu ahead of his appointment at Versace, officially announced on March 31.
Dario Vitale’s Bold Move at Versace: Breaking Rules, Not Following Hype
Personal taste aside, Dario Vitale took a chance at Versace. He did what he felt like doing instead of complaining about a change everyone claims to want. The collection was different, fresh, and daring. Archive references were there, but unlike what we are seeing more and more often, they weren’t the pillars of the collection. They weren’t dragged out just to create hype, like in Demna’s Gucci pre-fall 2026.
Right before leaving Versace, Vitale released an exclusive interview to D la Repubblica, the Saturday magazine supplement of the Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica, focused on fashion and directed by Emanuele Farneti, former Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Italia. The interview was supposed to be published the same day the news of his departure broke.
Read today, it has a bittersweet aftertaste and is more critical than it initially seemed. When asked about the harsh online comments directed at his collection, Vitale replied: “The brand doesn’t have to give out answers, but rather provoke questions.”
We’ve grown so used to empty and emotionless collections that when something daring appears, the public enters a fight-or-flight mode: “It’s not Versace!” Well, it’s not Gianni — isn’t that the whole point?
A collection that respects and reinterprets heritage is far more worthy of attention than an outrageous archive copy-and-paste. And if we don’t acknowledge that creativity is dying — even more than it already is — nothing will change.
In a fashion world going through one of its biggest shake-ups yet, all we can do is look for the glimmers of creativity that still manage to break through: let’s fantasize of undiscovered islands where creatives are free to express themselves and bring beauty and provocation into our lives.
