Sexy, bold and uninhibited: This is what the new Versace looks like

By Kati Chitrakorn, CNN

Milan (CNN) — Of all the designers to present a debut collection for a major house during fashion week this September, Dario Vitale arguably had one of the lowest profiles. Prior to his appointment as Versace’s new chief creative officer in April, Vitale was rarely mentioned in the press and fairly unknown to the wider public — unlike his predecessor Donatella Versace, who has become synonymous with, if not more recognizable than, the brand itself.

It’s in part why Vitale’s first show for Versace has been so highly anticipated by fashion editors, buyers, and enthusiasts. Questions abound about what the Napoli designer — who is the first from outside the Versace family to fill the role — would bring to the storied Italian house, which was acquired by the Prada Group in a landmark $1.38 billion deal that is expected to close by the year’s end.

There were finally answers Friday night, when Vitale presented his first collection for brand. What was originally intended to be an intimate event turned into a full-scale show, with high-profile guests including Bianca Jagger, Mia Khalifa, Romeo Beckham and the South Korean rapper Hyunjin.

The address on the invitation — which came in the form of a passionate letter quoting the English poet John Keats — indicated it would be in the center of Milan. But it was only on arrival that many attendees learnt the venue was the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, a historical art gallery filled with masterpieces by Caravaggio and Raphael.

Guests sat across two floors in different rooms, each in a slight state of disarray — from the office with a game of Solitaire left open on the desktop, to the unmade bed with shirts strewn across it, the space felt like someone’s private residence. It was a fitting backdrop for the new Versace designs, which the show notes described as “an expression of life lived freely, fully, without apology or restraint.”

Indeed, the clothes were sexy, colorful and uninhibited, with an ’80s tinge. There were gaping vest tops, striped trousers, leather jackets, and shimmery gowns, worn by models walking to a lively soundtrack that included Prince, George Michael and the Eurythmics. Some signature Versace motifs also appeared, like the Medusa symbol on cardigans or sparkly checkerboard patterns on dresses — reminiscent of the look worn by Claudia Schiffer on the brand’s 2023 runway.

Growing up in Italy meant that Vitale was familiar with Versace’s codes early on, he told a group of editors after the show. The sense of familiarity is impermeable, he said, drawing comparisons to pop culture. “It’s almost like Coca Cola, you know. Everybody knows Versace, it’s so popular.” And so, when exploring the brand’s archives, he sought to extract “the feeling of (the late founder) Gianni.” Rather than draw inspiration from specific pieces, he questioned: “What is the spirit of Versace beyond the clothes?”

There were also plenty of shirts, which despite being a key part of Versace’s heritage appear to have only returned to focus now. At the Venice Film Festival in August, Hollywood stars Julia Roberts and Amanda Seyfried had voluntarily shared the same Versace outfit: a striped shirt tucked into high-waisted jeans — the latter, according to Vitale, is “really me.” Various renditions of that look featured throughout the show, some accessorized with chains that clipped to the model’s belt. “The idea of having something high on the waist, it’s almost like an attitude, of being in control,” Vitale said.

The layering of clothes also featured prominently. It was evident on Vitale himself, who wore a sporty T-shirt underneath a blue shirt and a caramel-colored leather jacket by the covetable luxury label Miu Miu, where he previously worked. “There was this rule when I was a kid that, when you 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 said. Layering, which when done with intention, can add depth, texture and intrigue to an outfit, rather than simply be classic and conservative. Vitale added: “I wanted to do something very sexy out of it.”

Vitale’s debut is a punchy offering that offers a respite to the neutral shades and soft tailoring (perceived as hallmarks of refined taste) that have dominated the Milan runways in recent years. And if the show, along with Prada’s Spring-Summer 2026 collection earlier in the week (which featured acidic colors like neon orange, pink and green) is anything to go by, we’re all going to be wearing much brighter clothes in the coming year.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.