Donatella Versace has taken her last runway bow. Versace, the younger sister of the founder Gianni Versace and the woman who stepped in to safeguard the company after his murder in 1997, is leaving her post as chief creative officer after nearly 30 years.
She will be chief brand ambassador, an honorary role involving philanthropy and red carpets (and red carpet philanthropy). Dario Vitale, the former design and image director of Miu Miu, has been named the new $2.1 billion for the brand, which includes homewares and hotel design. Still, Versace never fit comfortably into the American group, and sales have declined.
Now it will be up to Vitale to continue that legacy, following his two years as design director at Miu Miu, one of fashion’s most astonishing success stories. Miu Miu revenue grew by 97.3% in 2024, a year when much of the industry saw sales fall thanks to consumer uncertainty and a broader industry slowdown. Vitale called the job at Versace a “privilege” and thanked Versace for “her trust”.
NYT established became part of her signature, and for the Grammys in 2000, she put Jennifer Lopez in a “jungle dress” cut to her navel. There were so many search queries for the look that Google Images was born. Celebrities and supermodels loved her. She became among the most recognisable designers in the world, played onscreen by Lady Gaga, Penelope Cruz, Gina Gershon and Maya Rudolph. She was so easy to caricature that she often wasn’t given enough credit for Versace’s success.
But in 2018 Capri (then called Michael Kors) paid ion. Despite having no formal fashion training, she grew into a beloved figure within the company and the industry. “It has been the greatest honour of my life to carry on my brother Gianni’s legacy,” Versace said in the news release.
“He was the true genius, but I hope I have some of his spirit and tenacity.” The rare woman at the top of a major fashion brand, she wore her struggles — with personal tragedy, self-doubt, finding her creative feet, and drugs — with as much aplomb as her long platinum hair.
The joyfully brash aesthetic Versace was never supposed to be its designer. She assumed that role after her brother was shot on the steps of his Miami mansdesigner. In a release on Thursday, John Idol, the CEO of Capri Holdings, which owns Versace as well as Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo, called the decision “part of a thoughtful succession plan”.
The change comes as Capri is considering the sale of Versace after Federal Trade Commission blocked an attempted merger with Tapestry, the owner of Coach and Kate Spade. Prada currently has an exclusive bidding window on the brand, according to a source. Versace, 69, has long been the embodiment and the guiding spirit of Versace, but she