After nearly 30 years, Donatella Versace made an announcement last week that she was stepping down as Versace’s creative director. Effective April 1, her post will be filled by Dario Vitale, formerly a design director at Miu Miu, while she takes on a new role as Chief Brand Ambassador.
“Championing the next generation of designers has always been important to me,” the 69-year-old fashion icon wrote on Instagram. “I am thrilled that Dario Vitale will be joining us, and excited to see Versace through new eyes. I want to thank my incredible design team and all the employees at Versace that I have had the privilege of working with for over three decades.”
She continued, “It has been the greatest honor of my life to carry on my brother Gianni’s legacy.
He was the true genius, but I hope I have some of his spirit and tenacity.”
Touching on her upcoming Chief Brand Ambassador role, Donatella stressed that she will remain Versace’s “most passionate supporter.”
“Versace is in my DNA and always in my heart,” she said.
Her announcement on Thursday immediately rocked the fashion and pop culture worlds. Since taking on the position in 1997 following the death of her brother and founder of the brand Gianni Versace, Donatella had grown Versace into a leading global fashion house with distinctive boldness and sensuality. An enigmatic figure herself, Donatella is the rare designer who’s just as famous as the brand she’s overseeing.
As soon as news of her retirement dropped, tributes poured from celebrities and fashion figures who have worked with Donatella over the years.
“Working with Versace in the era of Donatella will forever be one of the greatest highlights of my career,” wrote supermodel Gigi Hadid, who collaborated with Donatella for multiple collections, just like her sister Bella Hadid.
“Donatella era. Will live on for infinity,” Bella wrote on Instagram. “I love you DV. Our time together will be memories I am buried with. The first time I truly felt beautiful in our industry.”
Beside the Hadid sisters, tributes for Donatella also came from A-list names like Anne Hathaway, Channing Tatum, Dua Lipa, Cindy Crawford, and Victoria Beckham, among others.
The post Donatella Versace Steps Down As Versace’s Creative Director first appeared on We Are So Sugary.
