Donatella Versace made the announcement earlier today that she has appointed a new Chief Creative officer for the House of Versace. This is an end of an era for the legendary designer who stepped in to the design role after the tragic death of her brother, the founder Gianni Versace.
Being at the helm of this legendary fashion house has not been without its challenges for Donatella as she suffered many moments of self doubt as well as dealing with industry sceptics questioning her ability to carry the torch of her beloved brother. After 30 years she has certainly earned her stripes and will transition in to the role of Chief Brand Ambassador and oversee the company's philanthropic projects. Donatella has far exceeded our expectations and has managed to capture the zeitgeist of an era. Who can forget the viral Versace dress with the plunging neckline worn by Jennifer Lopez at the MTV awards. She also brought the "Supers" out of retirement and had them strut their stuff down the runway for the SS18 show that was a 20th anniversary tribute to her late brother. The iconic models wore lame dresses designed by Gianni and was a perfect homage to his legacy as it was a well known fact that they were loved by him.
To usher in the new era of design, Dario Vitale has been named as the new Chief Creative Officer and will take over on April 1st. Dario was previously design and image director at Miu Miu and with rumours swirling of a potential takeover of the Versace brand by Miu Miu owner - Prada Group in a deal valued at $1.5 billion, could see Vitale working for his previous employer again.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to carry on my brother Gianni’s legacy,” Donatella said in a statement. She also expressed her excitement at seeing the brand through new eyes. We wait with baited breath to see Dario's debut collection and wish him well as he embarks on this new journey.
