Today is one of those days when the fashion industry suddenly comes to a standstill, and that is because of the departure of the always iconic Donatella Versace from the fashion house VERSACE, founded by her brother Gianni in 1978.

News was announced today along with the appointment of her successor as Chief Creative Officer, Dario Vitale, who will be in charge of all the brand’s collections from April 1, 2025. Vitale is a designer who, until last January, held the position of Director of Design and Image at Miu Miu, owned by the Prada group.

Of her departure and the arrival of Dario, Donatella commented: “Championing the next generation of designers has always been important to me. I am thrilled that Dario Vitale will be joining us, and excited to see Versace through new eyes. I want to thank my incredible design team and all the employees at Versace that I have had the privilege of working with for over three decades. It has been the greatest honor of my life to carry on my brother Gianni’s legacy. He was the true genius, but I hope I have some of his spirit and tenacity.”

While Dario, for his part, added: “I am truly honored to join Versace as the Chief Creative Officer and to be a part of this special and powerful fashion luxury House created by Gianni and Donatella. The House of Versace has a unique heritage that has spanned decades and has shaped the history of fashion. I want to express my sincere thank you to Donatella for her trust in me, and for her tireless dedication to the extraordinary brand that Versace is today. It is a privilege to contribute to the future growth of Versace and its global impact through my vision, expertise and dedication.”

It is said that every sad story has a positive side, and in this case it has to do with the fact that Ms.Versace will not be totally disconnected from the company, since even though she will no longer be the designer, she will develop her position as Chief Brand Ambassador.

Thank you Donatella for further enriching the history of fashion for three decades and congratulations to Dario on his appointment!