MILAN — Dario Vitale is exiting Versace, WWD has learned.
According to sources, the designer, who is known for being a constant at the Milan offices and a workaholic, has not been seen for the past few days.
Asked for a comment, Versace confirmed Vitale will depart the brand.
Details about timing of the exit and the future creative direction of Versace were not available at press time.
Prada Group’s acquisition of Versace closed only two days ago, but things appear to have moved quickly. While market sources believed Vitale’s contract had been renewed at least until February — when he was expected to show his fall collection for the brand — and that he was working all-hours with his team and scouting locations, other observers wondered about the long-term future of the designer and speculated that an exit could be imminent.
Vitale is no stranger to the Prada Group as he was previously ready-to-wear design director at Miu Miu, which he left in January.
Market sources say that Vitale, who in March was appointed chief creative officer of Versace, was actually eyeing a future outside of the Prada Group and that this reunion was not part of his plans. His arrival at Versace was not the harbinger of this acquisition, Prada Group CEO Andrea Guerra has said. Also, sources believe that Prada’s top brass does not take any departure well, especially from longtime employees.
It is understood that Versace CEO Emmanuel Gintzburger is staying put at the moment.
Lorenzo Bertelli, head of CSR at the Prada Group, and the son of Patrizio Bertelli and Miuccia Prada, is expected to take on the role of executive chairman of Versace.
In April, the Prada Group revealed the acquisition of Versace from Capri Holdings for an enterprise value of 1.25 billion euros, shortly after Donatella Versace was named chief brand ambassador and left the creative director role after almost three decades at the helm of the brand.
She was succeeded by Vitale, who unveiled his first collection in September, receiving positive reviews from retailers for his colorful and audacious designs that he said embraced Gianni Versace’s legacy.
