Versace skips September runway for Dario Vitale’s Milan debut

Versace is taking a different path for Dario Vitale’s highly anticipated debut. Rather than a traditional runway show, the house of Medusa confirmed to FashionNetwork.com that its new creative director will reveal his first collection during an intimate event in Milan on 26 September.

Vitale, formerly Miuccia Prada’s right-hand man at Miu Miu, was appointed creative director of Versace earlier this year. His arrival followed a long negotiation that led to the brand’s acquisition from the Prada Group by Capri Holdings for approximately $1.25 billion — a figure still subject to adjustment at closing, expected by the end of the year.

The company describes the upcoming Milan event as one that “honours the past and imagines the future of the maison.” The presentation will be the first in 28 years without Donatella Versace’s signature. After the brand’s acquisition, Donatella stepped down from her role and became global ambassador for the house her late brother Gianni Versace founded.

The announcement surprised those expecting a grand-scale relaunch. The company chose a more measured approach, which Lorenzo Bertelli—son of Patrizio and Miuccia Prada—described shortly after the acquisition as “an evolution made of small and constant steps.”

Dario Vitale now takes on the formidable task of reviving one of Italy’s most iconic fashion houses. Versace has struggled financially in recent years and narrowly broke even in 2024.

Vitale’s debut is one of the most anticipated moments of the upcoming Milan Fashion Week, which will also feature major debuts by Louis Trotter at Bottega Veneta and Simone Bellotti at Jil Sander. Still under wraps is Demna’s debut for Gucci, which is expected to take place in Milan this September with a yet-to-be-revealed format.