What Is Going On At Versace?

"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," said Bertelli in a statement. The Versace creative team will continue to operate under the guidance of its CEO Emmanuel Gintzburger as the brand looks ahead toward the Fall/Winter fashion week circuit in February and March.

The acquisition, together with Vitale's exit, is the beginning of the Prada Group's untangling of the many knots weighing down Versace. Capri Holdings, which was called Michael Kors Holding when it acquired Versace in 2018 for over $2.1 billion, was meant to in turn be acquired by Tapestry, which owns Coach, Kate Spade, and Stuart Weitzman. But, that merger was rejected by the US Federal Trade Commission at the beginning of this year—in short, the FTC concluded that such a scenario would have allowed Tapestry to own a monopoly of the affordable luxury handbag market based on its brand portfolio. This failed acquisition prompted the sale of Versace and the exit of Donatella, who had led the brand since 1997, and now remains at the brand in the role of brand ambassador.

When Vitale, 42, was hired in March, many in the industry believed that his new role portended the Prada-Versace acquisition, which was later announced in April. Before this, Vitale had been a longtime deputy of Miuccia Prada at Miu Miu, and had reportedly been instrumental to the label's ascent from a well-known brand to a viral trend-maker and Gen Z sartorial oracle in recent years.

Vitale was one of 21 new designer debuts in luxury fashion in 2025, and one of 16 for the Spring/Summer 2026 season in September (others included Demna at Gucci, Jonathan Anderson at Christian Dior, and Matthieu Blazy at Chanel ). His collection for Versace was the undeniable dark horse in the race: he was not even meant to host a fashion show initially, but he showed a presentation instead at the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana in Milan. The collection was one of the most well-received of the season, prompting many rave reviews for its sensual libertine edge, and its '80s louche feel, which insiders and critics paralleled to Gianni Versace's early work before the label became the go-to va va voom popstar uniform.