The debut of Dario Vitale as creative director at Versace left no doubt about the brand’s future direction. In a bold opening statement, Vitale delivered a collection steeped in sensuality, signaling a clear commitment to the provocative spirit long associated with the Italian fashion house.
Vitale’s approach to design centers on the experience of intimacy rather than its explicit depiction. “It’s about the tactile sensation, the lingering memory—the suggestion of something rather than the thing itself,” the designer explained. This philosophy materialized in unbelted denim, dresses revealingly fastened with single buttons, and intricately bejeweled backless tops.
While Versace has never catered to the timid, Vitale’s presentation marked a particularly assertive debut. As the first creative director from outside the Versace family, his appointment follows the Prada Group’s acquisition of the brand earlier this year. Donatella Versace, who guided the house for decades following her brother Gianni’s passing, has transitioned to a brand ambassador role and was notably absent from the show.
Vitale drew inspiration not from recent iterations but from Gianni Versace’s original vision. “I remember my mother wearing Versace in the eighties and nineties,” the 42-year-old designer recalled. “That bold Italian fierceness, always perfectly controlled.” This homage translated into high-waisted denim reminiscent of Miami Beach glamour, muscular T-shirts, sequined harlequin patterns, and powerful shoulder silhouettes that captivated front-row attendees including Bianca Jagger and Jon Hamm.
The Mad Men star expressed enthusiasm for the direction: “Growing up during those decades, Versace was inescapable. Seeing Dario return to Gianni’s foundation feels incredibly refreshing.”
Vitale’s research involved deep immersion in Gianni Versace’s personal archive, though he focused less on clothing and more on personal artifacts. “I sought the spirit of Versace through his letters, collected artwork, even the stationery he used,” Vitale revealed. “I came to understand him through his possessions rather than his designs.”
The presentation itself became an extension of this narrative approach. Staged across multiple rooms at Milan’s Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, the show featured deliberately imperfect vignettes—unmade beds, writing desks, grand dining rooms—inspired by Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1969 thriller Teorema, which explores the disruption of bourgeois perfection.
“This new chapter imagines what happens when gods grow restless with Olympus,” Vitale mused. “When divine beings descend to find excitement among mortals.”
The weekend also witnessed another significant debut as British designer Louise Trotter presented her first collection for Bottega Veneta. Succeeding Matthieu Blazy, who prepares for his own Chanel debut, Trotter explored the brand’s foundational years between 1966 and 1977.
“This presentation chronicles Bottega Veneta’s journey, particularly that period of women’s liberation,” Trotter noted backstage. The collection featured the house’s signature intrecciato leather technique in oversized tailoring with glossy lapels, nappa leather trenches, and romantic, contour-hugging dresses. More experimental pieces included oversized sweaters crafted from recycled fibreglass in vibrant primary colors.
For Trotter, previously creative director at Joseph and Lacoste, accessing Bottega Veneta’s resources has been transformative. “It’s like being in a candy store,” she expressed. “The craftsmanship, the willingness to experiment—it’s been an extraordinary introduction to this house.”
