Milan
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Of all the designers to current a debut assortment for a main home throughout trend week this September, Dario Vitale arguably had certainly one of the lowest profiles. Prior to his appointment as Versace’s new chief creative officer in April, Vitale was not often talked about in the press and pretty unknown to the wider public — not like his predecessor Donatella Versace, who has change into synonymous with, if no more recognizable than, the model itself.
It’s partly why Vitale’s first present for Versace has been so extremely anticipated by trend editors, patrons, and fanatics. Questions abound about what the Napoli designer — who’s the first from outside the Versace family to fill the position — would carry to the storied Italian home, which was acquired by the Prada Group in a landmark $1.38 billion deal that’s anticipated to shut by the yr’s finish.
There had been lastly solutions Friday evening, when Vitale introduced his first assortment for model. What was initially meant to be an intimate occasion changed into a full-scale present, with high-profile friends together with Bianca Jagger, Mia Khalifa, Romeo Beckham and the South Korean rapper Hyunjin.
The handle on the invitation — which got here in the type of a passionate letter quoting the English poet John Keats — indicated it will be in the heart of Milan. But it was solely on arrival that many attendees learnt the venue was the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, a historic artwork gallery crammed with masterpieces by Caravaggio and Raphael.
Guests sat throughout two flooring in several rooms, every in a slight state of disarray — from the workplace with a recreation of Solitaire left open on the desktop, to the unmade mattress with shirts strewn throughout it, the area felt like somebody’s personal residence. It was a becoming backdrop for the new Versace designs, which the present notes described as “an expression of life lived freely, fully, without apology or restraint.”
Indeed, the garments had been attractive, colourful and uninhibited, with an ’80s tinge. There had been gaping vest tops, striped trousers, leather-based jackets, and shimmery robes, worn by fashions strolling to a vigorous soundtrack that included Prince, George Michael and the Eurythmics. Some signature Versace motifs additionally appeared, like the Medusa image on cardigans or sparkly checkerboard patterns on attire — paying homage to the look worn by Claudia Schiffer on the model’s 2023 runway.
Growing up in Italy meant that Vitale was acquainted with Versace’s codes early on, he informed a group of editors after the present. The sense of familiarity is impermeable, he stated, drawing comparisons to popular culture. “It’s almost like Coca Cola, you know. Everybody knows Versace, it’s so popular.” And so, when exploring the model’s archives, he sought to extract “the feeling of (the late founder) Gianni.” Rather than draw inspiration from particular items, he questioned: “What is the spirit of Versace beyond the clothes?”
There had been additionally loads of shirts, which regardless of being a key part of Versace’s heritage seem to have solely returned to focus now. At the Venice Film Festival in August, Hollywood stars Julia Roberts and Amanda Seyfried had voluntarily shared the same Versace outfit: a striped shirt tucked into high-waisted denims — the latter, in keeping with Vitale, is “really me.” Various renditions of that look featured all through the present, some accessorized with chains that clipped to the mannequin’s belt. “The idea of having something high on the waist, it’s almost like an attitude, of being in control,” Vitale stated.
The layering of garments additionally featured prominently. It was evident on Vitale himself, who wore a sporty T-shirt beneath a blue shirt and a caramel-colored leather-based jacket by the covetable luxurious label Miu Miu, the place he beforehand labored. “There was this rule when I was a kid that, when you get dressed, you always wear a T-shirt, a shirt and a jumper. So, to me, this is the fundamentals of every wardrobe, of getting dressed every single day,” he stated. Layering, which when achieved with intention, can add depth, texture and intrigue to an outfit, somewhat than merely be basic and conservative. Vitale added: “I wanted to do something very sexy out of it.”
Vitale’s debut is a punchy providing that provides a respite to the impartial shades and smooth tailoring (perceived as hallmarks of refined style) which have dominated the Milan runways in recent times. And if the present, alongside with Prada’s Spring-Summer 2026 assortment earlier in the week (which featured acidic colours like neon orange, pink and inexperienced) is something to go by, we’re all going to be carrying a lot brighter garments in the coming yr.
