Dario Vitale - Designer

[Olaffo]

I bet Raf made Unbreakable Vow to Blazy and Peter to get them both in legendary fashion houses…

 

[Lola701]

I bet Raf made Unbreakable Vow to Blazy and Peter to get them both in legendary fashion houses…

Considering the flop of CK and the fact that Prada only took RAF from that, they owes a big deal of their success today to themselves.

Raf is only collecting the laurels of their success.

When Phoebe left Celine or Nicolas left Balenciaga and other instances, head hunters literally jumped on people from their studios to get a piece of them.

It didn’t happened with RAF. But history will give him all the glory.

 

[Squizree]

I'm reading lots of rumors that Donatella might return to some creative degree. I know Dario wasn't the right fit, but this would be such a strange step backwards.

 

[brandon J pierre]

I'm reading lots of rumors that Donatella might return to some creative degree. I know Dario wasn't the right fit, but this would be such a strange step backwards.

I'll take it

 

[style_expert]

I think the only thing they’re grateful for at Prada is that Dario’s appointment conveniently moved Donatella out of the way, sparing them from having to do that unpleasant job themselves.

Sure, they’d love to have Donatella give a public “blessing” to whichever designer they plan to appoint next, but I don’t believe they want her back in any design capacity. And honestly, Donatella seems perfectly happy with her jet-set retirement aka 'global brand ambassador', who says she even wants to return?

 

[Lola701]

MOD NOTE: This post was originally a reply to a now-deleted comment, but ignited a wonderfully productive conversation… and therefore is staying up, along with its subsequent responses.

While I particularly like Blazy and don’t subscribe to this idea of constantly talking about something we don’t like as I prefer writing essays about things that I like…I think it’s interesting to see some different opinions to mine.

And there’s also this funny thing on TFS where literally nobody loves things that are now but over praise the past, with sometimes a lot of revisionism, there’s something interesting from my POV of enjoying some of the work of those designers.

Going to the stores, enjoying fashion outside of the screen, meeting and chatting with my industry friends also help me to shape my perception of things.

I think with a lot of critics around Blazy, there’s this underline elephant in the room where people who don’t like his work have this feeling that he is stealing the job of someone I would rather not mention and therefore are using some critics that could have been used to critic that someone work.

But you got to take it as a good sport.

It’s easy to not respond. It’s easy to not engage. It’s just an opinion. People are passionate and it’s keeping the forum alive.

And I’m sure you have common opinions on things too.

 

[jeanclaude]

Condom dresses in baroque prints...great, just what Versace needed... 🤮

 

[Xone]

From firing Dario to this…

I dont think taking Donatella it’s going backwards. I’ll take it too.

 

[Frederic01]

Pieter at Versace though after his multiple interviews trashing the fashion system and how he despises commercialism? If he goes to Versace after all that, I will lose all respect for him.

“There’s a modernity to small collections; it’s not just a vomiting of product,” he continues. “Richemont don’t want to make it into a billion-dollar brand, because it shouldn’t be that.”

His only condition to accepting the offer? “I didn’t want to do sportswear or sneakers.”

Mulier said: “I was disgusted by the quantity of products we were vomiting out, constantly, 16 times a year. [...] At some point, I started asking myself: who buys all this?”

ID MAGAZINE

 

[brandon J pierre]

Pieter at Versace though after his multiple interviews trashing the fashion system and how he despises commercialism? If he goes to Versace after all that, I will lose all respect for him.




ID MAGAZINE

I would him Love him even more if he was able to take versace back to being something very unique and less commercial.

 

[Frederic01]

I would him Love him even more if he was able to take versace back to being something very unique and less commercial.

Yes, agree in theory this is a great approach, but Prada will never allow it. Look at what they turned their own brand into: overpriced nylon and crappy basics with the triangle and little to no visibility of the runway collections anymore. Unfortunately the identity of the brand evaporated alongside its commercial ambitions.

They are clearly in it for the $$$ and not anything else. Gone are the glory days of Prada being a major influence on the wardrobes of people. The people that can afford Prada now are the richest of the rich. Which is a problem because:

Every time they increase their prices (which they just did again omg the price of their shoes now is a major lol), they eliminate another tier of clientele. And that means, by effect, their reach becomes increasingly more narrow. My point is, because of their post-Covid pricing strategy, they eliminated an entire group of clients. The very people that made the brand influential and culturally relevant.

The relative accessibility of Prada (before the aggressive price hikes) meant that you saw Prada in the wardrobes of people in major cities, and it was really inspiring to watch them. They were just regular people who could afford the clothes and wore them in an inspiring way that made you want to be part of that Prada world. Now, even the die-hard Prada fans are moving away from the brand, and the only time you see the clothes now is when it's paid for or when they gift the clothes to influencers just to wear to the show. It's completely vacuous and soulless.

And honestly, it's a really depressing outcome for a brand like Prada that used to be basically the most influential show of the Milan, if not the entire fashion week. Their influence has waned completely for the sake of $$$. I guess Miuccia doesn't really care about making an impact anymore like she used to and she just wants cash money. Let's not pretend like the reality is something else. They will do the exact same thing with Versace. Dario was too niche in vision and appeal.

 

[tricotineacetat]

While I particularly like Blazy and don’t subscribe to this idea of constantly talking about something we don’t like as I prefer writing essays about things that I like…I think it’s interesting to see some different opinions to mine.

And there’s also this funny thing on TFS where literally nobody loves things that are now but over praise the past, with sometimes a lot of revisionism, there’s something interesting from my POV of enjoying some of the work of those designers.

Going to the stores, enjoying fashion outside of the screen, meeting and chatting with my industry friends also help me to shape my perception of things.

I think with a lot of critics around Blazy, there’s this underline elephant in the room where people who don’t like his work have this feeling that he is stealing the job of someone I would rather not mention and therefore are using some critics that could have been used to critic that someone work.

But you got to take it as a good sport.

It’s easy to not respond. It’s easy to not engage. It’s just an opinion. People are passionate and it’s keeping the forum alive.

And I’m sure you have common opinions on things too.

Since I belong to that group of people, I feel very much in the need to respond, even if I already did it in my other post, where I commented on the seemingly lacking focus and editing in the work of Ghesquiere and Blazy.

I admit it's true that I look with a frame work of perhaps 20 years ago at fashion where designers were praised for a sense of restraint and focus in their work - the thing that allows us to easily recognize the style of certain designers and fashion houses. The sympathy we give to a designer like Haider Ackermann at Tom Ford comes from that place, he perfectly represents the qualities that made all the better designers in those times. Haider's body-of-work remained consistent over the years with a clear penchant for certain cuts, proportions, colors etc.

Regarding the idea that Blazy 'stole' the job from other designers - I won't deny to have entertained that thought a few times, always to the conclusion that his appointment is part of a larger change in the industry, something that made me feel at odds and greatly estranged from it's present shape.

I do feel like a broken record on this forum from time to time, much in the way as when I see an interview with Yohji complaining about the changes in today's fashion industry - Yet at the same time, if we don't uphold our convictions in a discussion forum, where elsevwould we do that?

 

[Lola701]

Since I belong to that group of people, I feel very much in the need to respond, even if I already did it in my other post, where I commented on the seemingly lacking focus and editing in the work of Ghesquiere and Blazy.

I admit it's true that I look with a frame work of perhaps 20 years ago at fashion where designers were praised for a sense of restraint and focus in their work - the thing that allows us to easily recognize the style of certain designers and fashion houses. The sympathy we give to a designer like Haider Ackermann at Tom Ford comes from that place, he perfectly represents the qualities that made all the better designers in those times. Haider's body-of-work remained consistent over the years with a clear penchant for certain cuts, proportions, colors etc.

Regarding the idea that Blazy 'stole' the job from other designers - I won't deny to have entertained that thought a few times, always to the conclusion that his appointment is part of a larger change in the industry, something that made me feel at odds and greatly estranged from it's present shape.

I do feel like a broken record on this forum from time to time, much in the way as when I see an interview with Yohji complaining about the changes in today's fashion industry - Yet at the same time, if we don't uphold our convictions in a discussion forum, where elsevwould we do that?

I totally agree about upholding convinctions in a discussion forum.
That’s why in my post I made the point to say that you got to play the game and take it as a good sport.

I have come to the conclusion that for me, it’s quite easy to not engage, to not respond when I feel like I won’t help the conversation move forward.

Because there’s this fine line where you are trying to express yourself, to make a point and then in a blink of an eye, you find yourself « battling » with someone’s opinions. I always try to learn something from comments of you all so when I don’t feel like I do, or laugh or can question my POV I just move forward.

And I don’t try to dismiss frustration but even if we are on the Internet, there’s a filter of anonymity, I try to approach debating about those subjects like I would IRL.

But ultimately, we simply judge fashion from a different standpoint.
I look at all the angles now. I used to look at the collection from a seasonal standpoint and in how it inserted itself in the body of the designer. Because I know the challenges and expectations of designers today, that are much more different than even when I was in the industry, I had to evolve in the way I appreciated things. Context still matters to me.
And even when I judge, I sometimes emphasize on the brands I’m a customer at because I know I look at it from a different angle with that layer.

What I expect from NG at Vuitton is ultimately different from what I expect from Haider. I love Haider’s work but it was always from afar. The fact that he is working at a house I like and I have clothes from changes again my perspective and my appreciation of his work. And I’m still very much into looking at the evolution of a designer’s work so I enjoy the bumpy roads and things like that.

My favorite designer had a 50+ years career. So I always look at the experimentations, the success, the failures, the choices of houses or not in that long game.

 

[tricotineacetat]

I totally agree about upholding convinctions in a discussion forum.
That’s why in my post I made the point to say that you got to play the game and take it as a good sport.

I have come to the conclusion that for me, it’s quite easy to not engage, to not respond when I feel like I won’t help the conversation move forward.

Because there’s this fine line where you are trying to express yourself, to make a point and then in a blink of an eye, you find yourself « battling » with someone’s opinions. I always try to learn something from comments of you all so when I don’t feel like I do, or laugh or can question my POV I just move forward.

And I don’t try to dismiss TianCouture’s frustration but even if we are on the Internet, there’s a filter of anonymity, I try to approach debating about those subjects like I would IRL.

But ultimately, we simply judge fashion from a different standpoint.
I look at all the angles now. I used to look at the collection from a seasonal standpoint and in how it inserted itself in the body of the designer. Because I know the challenges and expectations of designers today, that are much more different than even when I was in the industry, I had to evolve in the way I appreciated things. Context still matters to me.
And even when I judge, I sometimes emphasize on the brands I’m a customer at because I know I look at it from a different angle with that layer.

What I expect from NG at Vuitton is ultimately different from what I expect from Haider. I love Haider’s work but it was always from afar. The fact that he is working at a house I like and I have clothes from changes again my perspective and my appreciation of his work. And I’m still very much into looking at the evolution of a designer’s work so I enjoy the bumpy roads and things like that.

My favorite designer had a 50+ years career. So I always look at the experimentations, the success, the failures, the choices of houses or not in that long game.

I think ultimately neither one of us would partake in these discussions if we were
not feeling a sense of benefit from hearing another point of view, one that constantly asks us to check the validity of our point of view - And by that, I want to explicitely mention that I learned from you, too, even or maybe even especially because we don't always share the same opinion.

One of the qualities I expect the most from creatives in our today's time is a sense the of conviction and clarity of mission. We navigate in a difficult and hypercomplex world and within that, it feels assuring to know when an artist or designer remains steadfast to their believes, while at the same time being able to adapt it to changing circumstances. The fashion industry of today is a much different one to the one I actively exited nearly 15 years ago, I think that must have been around the time you were working there, too.

You are very right to point out that the context of time and place for a designer like Ghesquiere is very different from where he is now to where he was at Balenciaga. Responding to these corporate needs puts designers in a difficult position to remain artistically clear and to orchestrate all assets to serve a singular vision of their image. Vuitton is not the place for it, and I've said it many times over that I hope after that, he will aim not at a bigger, corporate position but (much like Phoebe), something smaller bit with absolute control over everything. Ideally his own brand, if he still feels the urge to do it.

One thing I will leave this post with is the question what good there is when designers put on these runway shows with sheer endless amount of looks when we also know for a fact that runway collections play only but a minor part in the buying budget for boutiques. It doesn't seem plausible to me why Nicolas always s out such an overstimulating amount of overdesigned clothes on the runway, especially when we know so few of that actually makes it to the stores - Then you have this recent push for red carpet that again, doesn't align with the runway…

 

[PDFSD]

I totally agree about upholding convinctions in a discussion forum.
That’s why in my post I made the point to say that you got to play the game and take it as a good sport.

I have come to the conclusion that for me, it’s quite easy to not engage, to not respond when I feel like I won’t help the conversation move forward.

Because there’s this fine line where you are trying to express yourself, to make a point and then in a blink of an eye, you find yourself « battling » with someone’s opinions. I always try to learn something from comments of you all so when I don’t feel like I do, or laugh or can question my POV I just move forward.

And I don’t try to dismiss TianCouture’s frustration but even if we are on the Internet, there’s a filter of anonymity, I try to approach debating about those subjects like I would IRL.

But ultimately, we simply judge fashion from a different standpoint.
I look at all the angles now. I used to look at the collection from a seasonal standpoint and in how it inserted itself in the body of the designer. Because I know the challenges and expectations of designers today, that are much more different than even when I was in the industry, I had to evolve in the way I appreciated things. Context still matters to me.
And even when I judge, I sometimes emphasize on the brands I’m a customer at because I know I look at it from a different angle with that layer.

What I expect from NG at Vuitton is ultimately different from what I expect from Haider. I love Haider’s work but it was always from afar. The fact that he is working at a house I like and I have clothes from changes again my perspective and my appreciation of his work. And I’m still very much into looking at the evolution of a designer’s work so I enjoy the bumpy roads and things like that.

My favorite designer had a 50+ years career. So I always look at the experimentations, the success, the failures, the choices of houses or not in that long game.

Let's say Haider got better while at Tom Ford even if its not perfect and one can find needs for improving like we talked about a more fluidness and effortless elegance like Tom Ford had bit of fun etc time to time.

His rigor and old fashioned taste for drama is saving his weak points , not addressed it will look old real fast.
That's besides his nasty treatment of staff.

NG is just too messy now even if i know one can finds pieces to enjoy etc. but as in the art for of doing a collection and being directional and quality of work good is good amazing is another level and it is what is another level ....but amazing work is amazing no matter what time it was made.

Its not nostalgia i think watch work is a good example take a grand complication of patek of past and have one also today both have tremendous value and workmanship while you can get also old junk quartz patek from same 80´s period its still worth more today but its not amazing just like a cubitus made today.

I think i said it i don't yearn for the past i look for things that evolved for the better since then , not accepting mid just because its readily available.

I think critical thinking is more at danger in our society today than complacent seemingly happy/positive people .
we should ask and demand more from companies & designers when you pay so much you don't need polyester in a chanel jumper , or badly cut jacket etc
i dont subscribe to netflix taste for fashion as the standard of today , because fashion is not immune to what's happening to all other art forms and culture and industries. a Bentley has part of a volkswagen car a rolls royce is a bmw underneath etc etc
watches have same internal as a cheaper costing watch etc

 

[Avonlea]

What exactly do you find clownish in Miuccia's look?

 

[Xone]

To go back on topic, it seems Dario will root for his collection even he is out.
Thoughts?

 

[Squizree]

Imagine being his friend and having to tell him "it's a fabulous collection babe!"

 

[Lola701]

Im rooting for him.
Hopefully he is having meetings in Milan.

 

[Norden]

I like that campaign on the street, looks sexy and modern.
I really didn't mind his versace, it's just not what you expect versace to be in 2025.