It's official: the Belgian designer Pieter Mulier is the new creative director of VersaceThe appointment, announced by the group Prada – which recently acquired the famous brand founded by Gianni Versace – will take effect on July 1, 2026. The date of his catwalk debut, which will mark the beginning of his creative journey at the fashion house, has yet to be determined.
Mulier's appointment is not surprising: rumors have been circulating about his appointment for months. The designer takes over from Dario Vitale, whose relationship with Versace ended abruptly in December 2025, immediately after Prada's official entry, despite having collaborated with Miuccia Prada at Miu Miu. Vitale had only designed one collection, Spring-Summer 2026, praised by critics and buyers for her style resembling that of Gianni Versace. Her only campaign, shot with internationally renowned photographers such as Steven Meisel, Frank Lebon, and Tania Franco Klein, was also the designer's last for the brand.
Who is Pieter Mulier?
Born in Ostend, Belgium, in 1978, Mulier studied design and architecture at the ESA Saint-Luc in Brussels. He built his career alongside Raf Simons, co-creative director of Prada since 2020, who was among the first to recognize Mulier's talent at the Institut Saint-Luc in Brussels.
Over the course of nearly twenty years with Simons, Mulier has collaborated with some of the most prestigious fashion houses in the world: Jil Sander as an accessories designer, Christian Dior as design director for Haute Couture and Ready-to-Wear – an experience documented in the famous film “Dior and I” – and Calvin Klein as global creative director in New York.
In February 2021 he was appointed creative director of Alaïa, where he was able to blend the maison's sartorial heritage with a modern and contemporary sensibility, transforming technical rigor and precision into a recognizable aesthetic cleanliness in his collections.
The new chapter of Versace
"As we considered the acquisition of Versace, we identified Pieter Mulier as the right person to lead the brand's design. We are confident he will be able to fully express Versace's potential and establish a profound dialogue with the brand's history and distinctive aesthetic. We are thrilled to embark on this journey together," said Mulier. Lorenzo Bertelli, Executive Chairman of Versace.
With Pieter Mulier at the helm of design, Versace officially enters a new creative phase, ready to combine the brand's iconic heritage with a contemporary and international vision.
