Pieter Mulier is the new creative director of Versace

Pieter Mulier, the new creative director of Versace

(Image credit: Versace)

Pieter Mulier is the new creative director of Italian fashion house Versace, it has been announced this afternoon. The widely rumoured move was all but confirmed on Friday when the Belgian designer announced his departure from Alaïa, after a five-year tenure defined by critical success and commercial expansion.

Mulier replaces Dario Vitale, the successor to Donatella Versace, whose brief tenure saw him present only a single runway show at Milan Fashion Week last September. His exit followed a time of major change at the house: just two days prior to Vitale’s exit, the Prada Group’s €1.25 billion deal to purchase the Gianni Versace-founded brand was finalised.

Pieter Mulier is heading to Versace

Pieter Mulier Raf Simons — Pieter Mulier with his longtime collaborator, Raf Simons, during their time at Calvin Klein

Now, the Prada Group is backing Mulier to breathe new life into Versace, which, despite its status as a household name, has seen its sales steadily decline in recent years. His time at Alaïa was transformative: the first designer to take the helm of the house after Azzedeine Alaïa’s death in 2017, Mulier sought what he called a ‘modern beauty’, inspired by the namesake couturier’s focus on form and silhouette.

‘The women who wear Alaïa are not static works of art, but are active in society, working, running, busy with children. I want to create clothes that carry this idea of a modern beauty, always in movement,’ he told Wallpaper* in the September 2022 Style Issue.

He came to Alaïa with a strong pedigree: a longtime right-hand of Raf Simons, first at the Belgian designer’s eponymous label, then at Jil Sander, Dior and Calvin Klein (Simons was creative director of each). In 2021, he became creative director of Alaïa, his first major role.

Ala&iuml;a S/S 2026 runway show — A look from Alaïa’s S/S 2026 runway show, which would be his last

‘When we considered the Versace acquisition, we identified Pieter Mulier as the right person for the brand,’ said Lorenzo Bertelli, Versace’s executive chairman, in a statement this morning (Bertelli is the son of Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli and has held various roles within the Prada Group).

‘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.. We are excited to begin this journey together.’

Though it is yet to be announced, it is expected that Mulier will make his debut later this year at the September edition of Milan Fashion Week.

versace.com

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Jack Moss is the Fashion & Beauty Features Director at Wallpaper*, having joined the team in 2022 as Fashion Features Editor. Previously the digital features editor at AnOther and digital editor at 10 Magazine, he has also contributed to numerous international publications and featured in ‘Dazed: 32 Years Confused: The Covers’, published by Rizzoli. He is particularly interested in the moments when fashion intersects with other creative disciplines – notably art and design – as well as championing a new generation of international talent and reporting from international fashion weeks. Across his career, he has interviewed the fashion industry’s leading figures, including Rick Owens, Pieter Mulier, Jonathan Anderson, Grace Wales Bonner, Christian Lacroix, Kate Moss and Manolo Blahnik.