WORDS BY LUC CORMIER

The Creative Director made his debut at Versace in Milan. He was the first non-Versace to head the brand. Now he’s the first non-Versace to leave it.  

 This collection has only been out for six months, and it has aged strangely. Immediately, there was backlash online. People did not get it; they thought that it was trying and failing to capture the energy of Gianni’s work. This was all based only on photos; no one was able to see any of the clothes in stores until recently. After Vitale was no longer the brand's Creative Director and his clothes were made available, the tone seemed to change.

This whole debacle is very symptomatic of the new standard of creative renewal set by LVMH. Everyone is switching around, creating fresh starts for every brand. The Prada Group seems to be following suit, bidding Vitale goodbye soon after officially acquiring Versace. Now it seems that this strategy can also result in these swift promotions leading to swifter parting of the ways. 

The clothes on their own are worth considering. Vitale used a classic Versace colour sensibility, with sensual elements more common in menswear than in womenswear. 

 Look 52 for example, features a very skimpy tank top and a nipped-in waist. The fanny pack in this context is great,  but out of context, not so great. The tank top is wonderful, very gay. Which is great if that’s the market they’re going for. 

The accessories did not thrill, but the way they were styled was very smart. The use of this belt in Look 21, like a knife cutting through this buttery dress/set. This look was one of the favourites but it did not feel very Versace, it was lacking the overt sexiness.

Look 21gives us a throwback to a vintage-cut suit, embracing the modern trend of intentional standout accessories; the chunky belt makes a well-needed statement.

From the womenswear, Look 4 was definitely in the top. The colours, the sideboob; a perfect modern implementation of Versace's sexiness. Although, we could use more of this. These pants?. They’re nicely cut, but printed denim is tired, unless it’s Acne Studios.

This collection makes for an interesting case study on what looks good on camera and in person. The conversation around Vitale, Versace and Prada makes for an interesting conversation on what is really happening in our industry. Hopefully, this game of Creative Director musical chairs has stopped for now. A shame that Vitale did not get to sit down just yet.