Welcome back to Fashion Bulletin, a weekly column where Coveteur's senior fashion editor, Ella O’Keeffe, recaps all the buzzy industry news you from the week.
Lots to discuss in the Versace-verse this week, which is why this edition of Fashion Bulletin is a special edition. A Versace edition, if you will. Foremostly the announcement of Pieter Mulier as the Italian brands new creative director, after the news broke last week that the Belgian designer was leaving his post at Alaïa—where he spent 5 years from 2021 and acting as Azzedine Alaïa’s first successor since his passing in 2021—speculation swiftly followed that Versace was where he would be headed next.
Mulier’s appointment will be effective from July 1, 2026. He will report to Versace chairman and Prada Group scion Lorenzo Bertelli. “When we considered the Versace acquisition, we identified Pieter Mulier as the right person for the brand,” Bertelli said in a statement. “We believe that he can truly unlock Versace’s full potential and that he will be able to engage in a fruitful dialogue with the brand’s strong legacy. We are excited to begin this journey together.”
The news makes sense for multiple reasons, chiefly for the commercial success that Alaïa saw while Mulier was at the helm, proving his track record at being able to breathe new life into a culturally significant brand—one that has seen a downturn in revenue for the past year, and needs a firm hand to steer Versace into the realm of both commercial success and cultural relevance. Mulier is an equipped choice for the job not only because of his history at Alaïa, but his broad brand experience working alongside Raf Simons at Jil Sander, Christian Dior, and Calvin Klein. For almost two decades, Mulier honed almost parallel experience to Simons, who now serves as the co-creative director of Prada to huge commercial success.
Versace’s Spring/Summer 2026 Campaign And Dario Vitale At-Large
Steven Meisel for Versace
Onto Dario Vitale, whose first and only collection for Versace in September of last year left many of us feeling hopeful for his future at the house, but was swiftly ousted upon Prada Group’s acquisition of Versace from Capri Holdings on December 2. His exit from the brand was announced only 10 days later on December 12. This week, alongside Mulier’s news, Versace’s Spring/Summer 2026 campaign creative directed by Vitale went live, featuring three sets of campaign images by Tania Franco Klein, Frank Lebon and Steven Meisel. I thought it was an excellent display of creativity on Vitale’s part, and it’s disappointing that we will not get to see the real fleshing-out of what he may have been able to do at the Italian house. Albeit I am excited to see what transpires at Mulier’s Versace as the creative powerhouse takes on a new challenge.
It also leaves Vitale at-large within the designer musical chairs that never seems to really stop, and an open position at Alaïa. Is it possible that the Richemont-owned brand will pull a Kering and nab Vitale’s relatively untapped talent for the role? Or will they go with someone more seasoned?
Frank Lebon for Versace
Who Will Succeed Pieter Mulier?
So far, designers like Hedi Slimane and Kim Jones are still out of the job however don’t necessarily have the visual identity that aligns with a brand like Alaïa, and I doubt the brand will want to sway too far from the seismic success that Mulier has brought forward over the years. Joseph Altuzzara could be a fit with the right polish, or someone like Daniel Lee, whose ability to bring Bottega Veneta back from the brink positions him well with a brand like Alaïa, and the brand identity feels as though it makes more sense for the British designer than Burberry does, which is justifiably a tough house code to crack.
As always, Phoebe Philo would be a dream creative director casting for the job, however given the current success of her LVMH-owned namesake brand, it seems unlikely she would shift her trajectory at this stage. Then there is always the chance the French brand will pluck someone out of relative obscurity as they did with Mulier to mimic his success, promoting an internal designer or shopping around for someone high in the ranks at adjacent houses to poach.
Mulier’s final collection for Alaïa will be this March during Paris fashion week, so all will be revealed soon anyway!
