Designers Switching Houses & Moving to New Brands

[Squizree]

https://puck.news/versaces-new-creative-director-is/

 

[TianCouture]

I am sorry but I just cannot fathom Mulier at Versace even a teeny tiny bit.

 

[LadyJunon]

https://puck.news/versaces-new-creative-director-is/

Full article:

Versace’s New Creative Director Is…
As the dust settles on Dario Vitale’s whirlwind ouster from Versace, the Prada Group’s likely new creative director reveals a more practical rationale for his departure—and offers some clues about the group’s vision for the storied luxury brand.

Lauren Sherman
December 15, 2025

The Machiavellian drama surrounding Dario Vitale’s ouster from Versace has been all the rage in the industry for the last number of days. As I revealed last week, Vitale found himself in an unenviable personal pickle—having scorned Miuccia Prada by leaving Miu Miu for Versace, where he may have slightly alienated namesake Donatella, only to find himself serving his former mistress following the Prada Group’s acquisition of the brand from Capri. Yes, yes, Vitale showed an impressive collection at Versace, but loyalties run deep in this industry.

Anyway, Vitale never stood a chance to return to the Prada Group. Beneath this personal dynamic, there was also a relatively practical reason for his departure. Long before the Prada Group had even formally bid on the brand—before Vitale had even left Miu Miu—the leadership team had already begun favoring a different designer for the creative director role at Versace. In fact, according to people inside Versace and the greater Prada Group, company leaders had already informally assigned the job to a more experienced and pedigreed designer with decades of brand-building experience and commercial success, not to mention a deep connection to the group: Pieter Mulier, the current designer of Alaïa.

I’ll insert the requisite caveat here: Negotiations break down at the eleventh hour; contracts get torn apart; people change their minds. But as of late last week, everyone involved was certain that Mulier would be joining the business. I reached out to every company involved—the Prada Group, Versace, and Alaïa—for comment. A rep for the Prada/Versace side said that they are not commenting on any rumors or speculation regarding the appointment, but that the in-house team is currently working on the Fall/Winter 2026 collection.

Mulier, of course, managed to transform Alaïa alongside C.E.O. Myriam Serrano into a commercially viable business that accelerated as competing brands slowed down. Mulier is also a longtime collaborator of Prada’s Raf Simons—the two men worked together for decades, both on Simons’ namesake brand, but also Jil Sander, Dior, and Calvin Klein. There was a hope inside the industry that Mulier would stick with Alaïa for another few years at least. After all, it’s one of just a handful of recent success stories, with sales primarily fueled by the popularity of the brand’s netted ballet flat, and backed up by novel bags and a sellable ready-to-wear collection that has influenced pretty much every other brand around. (Even at Target the other day, I spotted a dance dress in the vein of Mulier.)

And yet for Richemont, which owns Alaïa, fashion and accessories will never be a priority. The group has paid more attention to Alaïa and Chloé in the last couple of years, but its core business is still hard luxury. And while I have heard that you can expect Richemont to become more acquisitive in the coming years, thanks to the success of Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels in particular, I’m not sure fashion brands will be a serious target.

Versace, on the other hand, represents the biggest opportunity in fashion. When Capri overpaid for the business in 2018, I remember that group C.E.O. John Idol noted Versace’s promise—despite business fatigue, the brand had incredible name recognition among consumers. That reach has only expanded over the past seven years, thanks in part to the social media prowess of Donatella Versace herself, the longtime creative director. Sales have not grown in lockstep, however, and the Prada Group obviously recognized that it needed the assistance of a veteran designer, with commercial, editorial, and brand development chops. Even regardless of any ruffled feathers between Prada and Vitale, Mulier presented a much surer bet.

The Belgians Are Coming
My understanding is that the Richemont and Alaïa teams have some say in the timing of this announcement, which could be months away. Meanwhile, Mulier continues to post Alaïa products on his Instagram, which tells me that they are going to try to make this transition as peaceful and respectful as possible. It’s still unclear whether Versace’s executive unit will stay in place, but the Prada Group would be smart to poach Serrano, too. No matter, I have been told that Versace will present a collection in Milan next February—the show, after all, must go on.

If this all goes down as many people believe it will, what might Mulier’s Versace look like? In a recent issue of Self Service, Mulier actually referred to Versace as a fount of his inspiration. The most impressive thing about Mulier’s tenure at Alaïa has been his ability to respect what Azzedine Alaïa built without catering to it outright. I suspect he’ll strike the same sort of balance at Versace, no matter the depth of participation from Donatella, who still wishes to be involved in the design process. With the right shoe and apparel strategy—bags will be trickier—I believe Versace could grow as quickly as Miu Miu has in the past decade, doubling sales in some years. Versace also occupies some of the best real estate in the world—one of the reasons the Prada Group wanted to buy it.

Mulier’s reunion with Simons is another reminder of the tremendous influence that both designers—along with Chanel’s Matthieu Blazy, another former collaborator—have had on the modern fashion industry. If you look back at their tenure at Calvin Klein, in particular, you can see their individual contributions to each collection. And now it’s clear how remarkably talented each of them is on their own. Mulier’s arrival in Milan also marks yet another Belgian in the city: With Simons at Prada, MeryllRogge at Marni, Glenn Martens at Margiela and Diesel, and Mulier at Versace, the little country is taking over the big city.

PUCK NEWS

 

[jeanclaude]

The only famous name who could do a good Alaïa is Galliano...but he is more interested in Kim Kardashian these days...

 

[Squizree]

This certainly seems to debunk earlier suspicions that Prada was just gonna CANNIBALIZE Versace and call it a day. Mulier isn't worth fighting for if all they wanted was an autopilot designer. Still not sure what his approach to Versace would be though. I also wonder how he would PUBLICLY replace Donatella. They're gonna need to gloss him up.

Oh and lol @ poor Dario. Never had a chance. GOOD.

 

[Snejana Onopka]

if its true then rip.... raf and his entourage are like locusts lmao

 

[imjustken]

Im not asking for a famous name but for a name…To have an idea of their aesthetic and envision what it could look like at Alaia, for the purpose of the discussion.

Personally, I'd rather talk about Alaïa's creative approach and which person has the same rather than how their personal aesthetic could fit into the brand.

I don't know all the people who could get the job. But again, my criteria would be someone who loves to makes clothes and who loves to talk to clients and have fittings with them.

I'm not too rigid about aesthetics because I think the creative approach matters more. Not only what they do, but how they go about doing it.

Aesthetics always evolve but if you've got someone who always listens to their clients and has their best interest at heart, you've got someone great on your hands who could hold up for a while.

 

[Creative]

You guys gotta be kidding about Maximilian Davis

He has zero talent

 

[Kanzai]

Aww, poor Narciso. The fit of this suit is still imprinted in my mind, razor-sharp !
View attachment 1441064
I thought he was still active but I can't see any new collections since 2020. What a shame !

I’m all for great/veteran NYFW designers making a comeback! Narciso Rodriguez is the refreshing palate cleanser this current minimalist scene desperately needs. Honestly, I'm so done with the likes of try-hard cerebral minimalist Louise Trotter, Veronica Leoni, Meier, PS boys etc.

I’m rooting for Philo simply because she’s the pioneer/blueprint of the movement. I respect The Row for staying true to their pricing strategy and that unwavering Donna Karan meet Yohji zen/escapist aesthetic. Khaite feels like she actually takes her job seriously and respects the customer’s IQ. And Pieter Mulier, while I detest the output and the ego (bro treating the archive as a dumping ground to layer his cerebral ideas), I’ll give him credit for having a distinctive POV.

 

[Avonlea]

Pieter Mulier, while I detest the output and the ego (bro treating the archive as a dumping ground to layer his cerebral ideas), I’ll give him credit for having a distinctive POV.

I hate his work in the context of Alaia, but on its own it's distinctive and interesting. I will always appreciate designers who actually design and not just curate archival pieces. He is also one of the very few to have a complete vision. Everything is coherent, from shows to campaigns.

 

[Kanzai]

^ I’m not a follower of OG Azzedine so Pieter’s works don’t offend me that much tbh. I just don’t like the way he’s pushing himself too far away from the ethos of the brand. His campaigns are sick though.

 

[tricotineacetat]

I agree with everything but you don’t have a name in mind?
Someone we don’t know is a gamble that may not happen…

For me the Standing Ground guy who is also doing Alaia (tbh) would be great. Does he has what it takes though to fit in that eco-system?

I wonder what he has been up to lately.

He won one of the LVMH prizes and we haven't seen anything from him since. My guess is that he is taking this opportunity thoroughly to evolve and will not be the last we've seen of him. Perhaps he is already silently working behind the curtain at another house, consulting on red carpet.

 

[Lola701]

I wonder what he has been up to lately.

He won one of the LVMH prizes and we haven't seen anything from him since. My guess is that he is taking this opportunity thoroughly to evolve and will not be the last we've seen of him. Perhaps he is already silently working behind the curtain at another house, consulting on red carpet.

He is very talented in a dressmaking sense. Today’s designers, unless those who are working with big ressources, don’t really touch on dressmaking. So I really enjoy his work.

In a ideal world, he would be just fine by himself, developing his language and his pace for his own brand. It’s a bit almost sad that someone very talented like that has to join a corporate environment where he will have to do the whole fashion system thing just to survive.

In my head, my naive thoughts, Alaia is still that sanctuary where a talent Iike him or others could flourish. But the party has already ended in a way. Richemont is seeing dollars signs and growth so that sanctuary is morphing into a typical fashion house.

Im hoping that Couture clients or women of the world are buying his clothes.

 

[tricotineacetat]

He is very talented in a dressmaking sense. Today’s designers, unless those who are working with big ressources, don’t really touch on dressmaking. So I really enjoy his work.

In a ideal world, he would be just fine by himself, developing his language and his pace for his own brand. It’s a bit almost sad that someone very talented like that has to join a corporate environment where he will have to do the whole fashion system thing just to survive.

In my head, my naive thoughts, Alaia is still that sanctuary where a talent Iike him or others could flourish. But the party has already ended in a way. Richemont is seeing dollars signs and growth so that sanctuary is morphing into a typical fashion house.

Im hoping that Couture clients or women of the world are buying his clothes.

He comes across to me as the kind of designer who can take the best out of the experience of working with couture craftsmen - much in the way that it has shaped the paths of designers like Karl Lagerfeld or Alexander McQueen.

Patrick Stewart is in for the long run and not the one leading to fast success and eventual decline - That's at least what I like to believe!

 

[imjustken]

And Pieter Mulier, while I detest the output and the ego (bro treating the archive as a dumping ground to layer his cerebral ideas), I’ll give him credit for having a distinctive POV.

Omg, that's exactly what Ghesquière did with Balenciaga !!!

 

[Norden]

I think the hate and negativity towards Raf, Pieter and Blazy is sometimes really too much. I also find their work rather sterile and off-putting, but to discard them as bad creative directors is really a discredit to their work. Pieter, while producing rather sterile collections at Alaia, did really take the brand further and made it into a more mature brand that can be run by a group beyond its founder. He maintained some of the codes and matured others. In my opinion he did a fine job at Alaia, and richemont must be very happy with its performance. What suprised me about his Alaia is how many younger girls where into it, which in addition to Alaia's staples are a welcome touch. As for Versace, I think he will be a better fit than Alaia, Versace is inherently more 'designed' and is more dependent on brand building. I think also Pieters taste level will be a welcome addition to the Versace brand. The big question is, can Pieter do sexier stuff, not this intellectual bullsh*t, but good old Italian sex appeal? How about the mens? In the end its good that Prada bought Versace, its a very Italian brand, and I think its really fitting that its owned by an Italian family led company. Its tragic that Dario Vitale was caught in all of this, a really good designers career might have been cut short.

 

[PDFSD]

I agree with everything but you don’t have a name in mind?
Someone we don’t know is a gamble that may not happen…

For me the Standing Ground guy who is also doing Alaia (tbh) would be great. Does he has what it takes though to fit in that eco-system?

I cant think of a name we already know ...Fabio used to do the acc for ALAIA when it had prada support ..i prefer new blood this great reset and recycling of same names leads to nothing for me.

Phoebe would handle it well but she is doing her own brand and i am happy for that.
if i was the ceo or consulting on the hiring i would rather see unknown names do a project for the brand its more interesting to discover new talent.

Peter was also a gamble as he was not known nor known for his own collections.... blazy at chanel is also a gamble JWA at dior is a gamble even if the are known.

 

[PDFSD]

I think the hate and negativity towards Raf, Pieter and Blazy is sometimes really too much. I also find their work rather sterile and off-putting, but to discard them as bad creative directors is really a discredit to their work. Pieter, while producing rather sterile collections at Alaia, did really take the brand further and made it into a more mature brand that can be run by a group beyond its founder. He maintained some of the codes and matured others. In my opinion he did a fine job at Alaia, and richemont must be very happy with its performance. What suprised me about his Alaia is how many younger girls where into it, which in addition to Alaia's staples are a welcome touch. As for Versace, I think he will be a better fit than Alaia, Versace is inherently more 'designed' and is more dependent on brand building. I think also Pieters taste level will be a welcome addition to the Versace brand. The big question is, can Pieter do sexier stuff, not this intellectual bullsh*t, but good old Italian sex appeal? How about the mens? In the end its good that Prada bought Versace, its a very Italian brand, and I think its really fitting that its owned by an Italian family led company. Its tragic that Dario Vitale was caught in all of this, a really good designers career might have been cut short.

HATE versus CRITIQUE
I think strong or clear critique is misconstrued with simplistic hate, these days.
To like everything or mid feeling of acceptance makes for devaluation of what taste is , because if it's all but ok than what you like has no value because its all similar.
Why every thing is so mid but ok because exceptional means saying no to other things and people feel uncomfortable.

ALAIA BEFORE PETER PAN
Mature you mean as in more popularly known for its acc and runways sure but that's not a metric ALAIA cared about.
If you were rich and traveled you knew what ALAIA was, now every influencer knows it great !!

Even after ALAIA death the brand was growing that's just facts.
Since the brand has been under Richmond the brand grew 4x that includes the 10 years ALAIA was alive under Richmond partnership and the 4 years post his dead had 41.37% increase in revenue before before Peter arrived in feb 2021.

Peter like Blazy in Bottega was adding to the already growing sales thats the nuance.

VERSACE
I think a Versace he will be a better fit, at AlAIA he is out of his league and i love both brands historically speaking.

DARIO NO VICTIM
Dario was not caught in it he made his own decision a bet against his old boss thinking maybe they won't be the new owners of Versace and i take this big chance to be known.
Well he is known now and Prada did buy Versace. both won a prize.

 

[PDFSD]

^ I’m not a follower of OG Azzedine so Pieter’s works don’t offend me that much tbh. I just don’t like the way he’s pushing himself too far away from the ethos of the brand. His campaigns are sick though.

his campaigns are a gay mans sexup version of Phoebes Celine lets keep it 100 ! folks of fashion & discretion.

 

[Lola701]

^ I’m not a follower of OG Azzedine so Pieter’s works don’t offend me that much tbh.

It’s good. You should look at it.
Thankfully they have most of his collections on the fondation Azzedine Alaia website. And if you are that interested you will maybe look at his influences.
I personally discovered the work of Adrian years ago by looking at his body of work, papers around him.

ARTE did a great documentary on him years ago. It’s on YouTube but only in French.

And I got into Azzedine thanks to Helmut Lang.