On the evening of September 26, 2025, the storied halls of Milan’s Pinacoteca Ambrosiana were transformed into the epicenter of fashion’s most anticipated event: Dario Vitale’s debut as Versace’s chief creative officer. The runway show, staged amid priceless artworks and the quiet grandeur of the museum, marked a turning point for the Italian fashion house—one that’s still sparking heated debate across the industry and online.
Originally billed as an “intimate affair,” the event quickly revealed itself to be a full-scale spectacle. According to WWD, only a select group of guests received invitations, but the buzz outside was palpable, with fans and paparazzi crowding the streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of celebrities like Bianca Jagger, Mia Khalifa, Romeo Beckham, and South Korean rapper Hyunjin. The invitations themselves set the tone: a passionate letter quoting English poet John Keats, hinting at romance, audacity, and a bit of mischief—qualities that would soon be mirrored on the runway.
Vitale, who had spent over 15 years as Miu Miu’s ready-to-wear design director, stepped into the Versace spotlight with little fanfare or public recognition. As CNN put it, he was “rarely mentioned in the press and fairly unknown to the wider public,” especially compared to his predecessor, the iconic Donatella Versace. Yet this low profile only heightened the curiosity and anticipation surrounding his first collection—especially since he’s the first designer from outside the Versace family to take the helm, following the house’s $1.38 billion acquisition by the Prada Group earlier this year.
Inside the venue, guests were seated across two floors in rooms staged to resemble a private residence—complete with an unmade bed, scattered shirts, and even a computer left open to a game of Solitaire. The setting, as described by CNN, felt intimate and lived-in, a fitting backdrop for a collection that Vitale himself described as “an expression of life lived freely, fully, without apology or restraint.”
The clothes on display were nothing if not bold. Drawing heavily from the brand’s 1980s heyday, Vitale’s collection was a riot of vivid colors, wild patterns, and unapologetic sex appeal—but with a twist. As Pamela Golbin, fashion historian and author, observed for WWD, “Dario’s vision for both men and women evokes the ease and more quiet confidence of the everyday without forgetting the Versace ‘sexy’.” Layering, tailoring, and low side cuts in linens and leather shaped sensual silhouettes, while primary colored high-waisted jeans, belts with gilt hardware, and exaggerated shoulders paid homage to Gianni Versace’s original codes.
Vitale’s approach wasn’t simply a nostalgic retread. Instead, he sought to capture what he called “the spirit of Versace beyond the clothes.” In a post-show conversation with editors, he remarked, “It’s almost like Coca Cola, you know. Everybody knows Versace, it’s so popular.” Rather than lifting specific archive pieces, Vitale explored what makes Versace instantly recognizable—its attitude, its swagger, and its sense of freedom. This was evident in the collection’s playful layering: T-shirts beneath shirts, shirts beneath jumpers, all topped with tailored jackets or leather outerwear. “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 explained, according to CNN. But Vitale’s layering was anything but conservative. “I wanted to do something very sexy out of it,” he added.
The numbers tell their own story. According to Alexandra Van Houtte, founder of Tagwalk, 48 percent of the collection consisted of jackets—a sharp departure from previous seasons, where dresses dominated. Stripes accounted for 25 percent, high-waisted looks for 21 percent, and leather pieces for 32 percent of the collection. The result was a wardrobe that felt both rooted in Versace’s DNA and refreshingly new. “For me, Vitale showed a new way forward for the brand,” said Christos Garkinos, CEO of Covet by Christos, to WWD. “It felt totally fresh and a jumpstart to a new direction.”
Signature Versace motifs were everywhere, from the Medusa symbol on cardigans to sparkly checkerboard patterns on dresses—a nod to Claudia Schiffer’s iconic 2023 runway look. Yet, as Dazed pointed out, Vitale also revived less frequently seen elements, like Gianni’s 1991 Warhol-inspired pop art print, splashed across sundresses, satin shirts, and pencil skirts. The collection’s palette was a kaleidoscope of color: strappy pale blue vests over scarlet baby-tees, mint pedal pushers, unbuttoned shirts in poster paint hues, and slouchy tailoring in lilac and aquamarine. For menswear, blousy silk shirts tucked into leather trousers, jeans with chap-like panels, and embroidered waistcoats left unbuttoned to reveal archive-print ties brought a sense of playful irreverence.
If Donatella’s Versace was about in-your-face glamour, Vitale’s take is subtler—sexy but sensual, youthful but sophisticated. As Dazed noted, “It wasn’t the kind of in-your-face sexiness Versace is known for, but something more subtle and sensual.” Dresses were left undone at the back, as if a lover had just unzipped them, adding a touch of eroticism and romance. The show’s invitation—a love letter by Keats—wasn’t just a gimmick; it reflected Vitale’s penchant for weaving poetry and intimacy into his designs.
Industry reaction has been as vibrant and varied as the collection itself. Some critics, like Cameron Silver of Decades Inc., praised Vitale for successfully mixing “very retro references, a youthful exuberance, and separating his point of view from his predecessor, Donatella.” Others acknowledged the risks in moving away from the house’s traditional eveningwear and more bombastic glamour. Anna Lottersberger of Ferrari Fashion School appreciated Vitale’s ability to “flirt with the lascivious spirit of Versace—its mischievous glamour—without falling into a literal homage to the archive.”
Beyond the fashion, Vitale’s debut signals a broader shift for Milan’s style scene. The show’s punchy colors and exuberant energy stood in stark contrast to the neutral shades and soft tailoring that have dominated recent runways. As CNN observed, if this and Prada’s Spring-Summer 2026 collections are any indication, “we’re all going to be wearing much brighter clothes in the coming year.”
As the guests filed out of the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, the consensus was clear: Dario Vitale may have been an unknown name to many, but with his debut, he’s proven that he not only understands Versace’s legacy—he’s ready to write its next chapter.
