On September 26, Versace debuted their Spring 2026 Ready to Wear collection. During any other fashion season, this would have been the norm, except for a few standout pieces and the iconic Donatella Versace appearance at the very end. However, this runway was one of the most anticipated because of the new creative director, Dario Vitale.
Vitale had all eyes on him — he is the first person not born a Versace to take on the role of creative director. It was always a family-led position, with Gianni Versace being the head of the company up until his tragic death and his sister taking over afterwards. With big shoes to fill, Vitale had a lot to live up to. Prior to Versace, he held the position of design director for womenswear at Miu Miu, which we will later discuss.
As someone who pays attention to fashion often, I acknowledge that I am not a Versace man myself, but I can appreciate the Versace customer from afar and respect the brand’s history. I would not usually care or write about Versace because it isn’t a brand for me, but I felt the need to give my two cents on this collection. The brand has always been loud, patterned, and metallic, typical codes of house, but this collection was quite the opposite, and I am on the fence about how I feel.
On one hand, it feels very inspired by the ‘80s and ‘90s from when Gianni held the role, but his designs then felt of the time. As contemporary style has evolved, I do not think Versace needs a blast from the past, but instead a new vision for the company. With this, I feel like Dario’s vision strays so far away from the namesake that Donatella made with her time at the brand. Each piece and look was so dull and lackluster, feeling more Prada-like than Versace.
Some of the house codes were there in the prints, but this time, they weren’t loud and in your face, they were on a tie, or more muted. It wasn’t a focal point, but an accessory. It feels wearable and commercial. Even though I feel like it’s dull, Vitale’s took the brand back into the ‘80s and ‘90s in a refreshing way for which I have to give my props. It genuinely feels like a whole different brand, but I don’t believe this was the correct direction.
As previously mentioned, the collection felt more Prada-like, and honestly, when Prada group acquired Versace, I feared the house was going to become watered down and muted, and that it became. Considering Miu Miu is Prada’s sister brand, it just doesn’t feel like a coincidence that a Miu Miu design director and a Prada group acquisition came together to create something that Prada would have created in the 2000s. It all just feels calculated, and I don’t like that.
