In a shocking turn of events, despite some rumours, Donatella Versace hands over the creative direction of the brand. The new Chief Creative Officer is going to be Dario Vitale, who has already gained over 18000 new followers on social media, after the news broke.
It’s VERSACE not VERSACI
After her brother’s death, Donatella became responsible of the creative direction of Versace and has held this title for the past 27 years. Over her reign, she has tried to continue Gianni’s legacy and has created some iconic moments. She actually captioned one of her Instagram posts, announcing her step off, with the text “I hope I’ve made you proud so far”. It was a strong bond that tied the two brothers together and it is what made Versace the brand it is.
During Donatella’s time, we’ve seen lots of iconic Versace moments. They span from JLo’s tropical green dress, that she’s even worn again on the runway in 2020, to bringing together on the catwalk all of the ‘90s supermodels: Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, Helena Christensen who all walked together a decade later.
Donatella has done it all for Versace! She has dressed international artists like Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa for their concerts, but also for their red carpet appearances. The 13 going 30 dress? She that as well. With her, Versace collaborated with H&M in 2011. But Donatella didn’t only excel with her designs but also by making herself and the brand the top of the conversation, always.
All of us have that Gigi Hadid quote in our minds when she says “It’s Versace not Versaci”, as a nod to the American pronunciation of the brand’s name. Donatella herself has taken to the stage, as a skit at the Grammys in 2022, a big year that marked an all time high for Versace’s partnership with Dua Lipa that saw her close the SS22 show.
The Versace swan song
Donatella is leaving Versace’s creative direction with a bang. The FW25 show, from just a couple of weeks back, was her swan song. The collection presented showed great symbolism, bringing an ode both to the past as well as to the future.
Versace returned with their 3D-printed pieces introduced last season but in more flamboyant forms, accentuated with crystals. This innovative way to make fashion is proving that the advancement of technology is testing the limits of old creation processes. The keyword of the Versace FW25 show.
Two dresses caught the eye of everyone. The two designs were similar, one is gold and one in silver, one with a slit and the other having a straight seam. The silver one was hailed from Donatella’s very first show at Versace, the 1998 fall couture. It only seemed fitting to have both the past and the future of the brand come together for this special presentation.
Looking towards the future
Even though she leaves the creative direction, Donatella will stay part of Versace as an ambassador of the brand. She will also take care of the philanthropic actions of the company, fostering inclusivity and sustainability and taking new steps in that direction.
Dario Vitale will not only be in charge of the new Versace ready to wear and custom collections. He, as the new Chief Creative Officer will take care of the entire image of the brand. So he will be the one responsible for the new aesthetic of Versace. Vitale comes from 15 years spent at Miu Miu, part of the Prada Group. Previously he has worked under the guidance of Miuccia Prada alongside Fabio Zambernardi. Vitale has played a crucial role in Miu Miu’s success these past years.
Some might take his appointment as a positive sign in the transition of Versace from Capri Holdings to Prada Group. Only time will tell, after the official switch in of the direction that will take place on the 1st of April.
In such exciting times for fashion, with the changing of creative generations, we can only hope that Dario will excel in his role.
Featured image: Instagram.
