Pieter Mulier has just been confirmed as the new chief creative officer of Versace, making the rumoured appointment official—and signalling yet another move that promises not just a shake up but something rather spectacular.
Mulier was most recently at the helm of Alaïa. The Paris-based maison had only ever been run by a single other person, Azzedine Alaïa himself, who passed away in 2017. Mulier's rein was a resounding success—both commercially and creatively—with that sleight of hand so crucial between directional clothing and cult-in-the-making accessories. Want a garment that's practically a wearable sculpture? Go to Alaïa. Want the fishnet ballet flats that have sold out everywhere? Alaïa, again.
His tenure at Versace, which officially starts on 1 July, will almost certainly be a step change from the outgoing creative director, Dario Vitale. In a move that caused ripples of dismay among the press, many of whom bought into his vision for Versace (with its youth-spirited yet retro-inflected collection for SS26), Vitale was removed after his inaugural season by the brand's new owners: the Prada Group.
As discombobulating as the ins-and-outs of these appointments might seem to outsiders, it's clear the people in charge, as of now, are ready for Mulier, who was hand-picked by Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada's incumbent heir as well as executive chairman of Versace.
In a statement reported in Business of Fashion, Bertelli said: “When we considered the Versace acquisition, we identified Pieter Mulier as the right person for the brand. 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.”
If Vitale will be remembered for his colour-pop separates (think violet blazers and aqua capri pants), delectable leather jackets and idiosyncratic styling—all of which, interestingly, were literally just showcased in the brand's spring campaign; Vitale's first and last for Versace—Mulier's path might be pitched at the brand's grown-up customer who seeks a surreal level of glamour akin to Donatella Versace.
Mulier's first brush with what you might call "designer celebrity" came with famous documentary Dior & I, which chronicled his long-time friend and collaborator Raf Simons, who was designing his first collection at Dior (Couture, no less). That Mulier was an instant favourite with the atelier's legendary petites mains tells you everything you need to know about the man's personality—not to mention his talent. Versace is yet to announce when his first official collection will show after he arrives this summer, but it's guaranteed to be worth the wait.
