Versace SS26 Credits: ©Launchmetrics/spotlight Opinion If fashion’s game of musical chairs has felt unusually frenetic this season, you’re not imagining it. Across the SS26 cycle, designer rotations have at times overshadowed the collections themselves, reflecting an industry where creative tenures are shrinking and corporate restructurings are accelerating. Data shows the average creative director tenure at major houses has dropped to about 3 years in the 2020s, down from nearly ten in the 1990s. Just as the dust seemed to settle, the Prada Group confirmed the departure of Dario Vitale, less than a year into his tenure. The move follows Prada's acquisition of the brand and signals the arrival of a new creative vision under its new ownership. Vitale’s appointment at Versace came shortly after his exit from Miu Miu, where he played a key role in the brand’s recent momentum: the label has been among Prada Group’s fastest-growing units, with retail sales rising 93 percent year-on-year in 2024 thanks in part to its renewed cultural relevance. While his reasons for leaving Miu Miu were never publicly detailed, the company offered the customary statement thanking him for his “outstanding contribution” — there was no suggestion of controversy. What makes this moment striking is the sheer abruptness of his Versace exit. Vitale had been promoting campaign imagery on social media as late as the week prior, leading many insiders to speculate that the decision was made rapidly, just two days after the deal was finalised, and possibly without his advance awareness. Industry…
