Pieter Mulier Is the New Creative Director of Versace
It seems at least this time, the rumors were true. Pieter Mulier is officially heading to Versace, just as many suspected. The news was announced this morning via press release and Instagram (Donatella Versace left one of her trademark purple heart emojis in the comment section to signal approval). Though, Mulier will not officially start the job until July.
Whispers of Mulier’s move have been prevalent among the industry for a few months now, even before Mulier announced his departure from Alaïa in January. The Versace spot has been vacant since December, when Dario Vitale stepped down. Mulier seemed like the obvious choice. The Belgian designer is known for his close relationship with Raf Simons, having worked with the Prada co-creative director closely for nearly two decades. Last year, the Prada Group bought Versace, meaning Mulier’s appointment reunites the two friends for the first time since 2021. Mulier, too, was dropping hints. In an Interview story, the designer was asked about his influences. “Versace, who was very linked to Azzedine back in the day,” he said, likely with a cheeky grin on his face.
It has been a slightly chaotic year for Versace. Donatella relinquished creative control of the brand her brother built in March, after working at the helm since Gianni’s untimely death in 1997. Vitale, then, stepped in, becoming the first person outside of the Versace family to design for the house. Vitale showed just one collection, introducing a new direction for the storied brand to mixed reviews. Then, in early December, it was announced that Prada Group was acquiring Versace for $1.25 billion. Days later, Vitale left Versace, with many believing the designer did not want to return to the Prada Group, where he most recently acted as the ready-to-wear design director at Miu Miu. Now, less than a year after Donatella’s initial announcement, we have another new creative director in Mulier.
And if anyone is up to the task of ushering Versace into a new era, it’s Mulier. He is an expert at navigating brands through uncertain times. The Belgian designer was extremely successful at Alaïa, taking the job three years after Azzedine Alaïa’s death, when the future of the brand was extremely unclear. There are many parallels to the situation he now finds himself in. In 2021, when Mulier was named creative director of Alaïa, no one but Azzedine had designed for the brand. But Mulier managed to both maintain and extend the Tunisian’s legacy, introducing covetable accessories, opening standalone stores around the world, and presenting collections that both excited and challenged his fans and skeptics. Likely, the Prada Group is hopeful Mulier will bring that magic to Versace.
