Dario Vitale has landed one of the biggest jobs in Italian fashion. The Armani Group named him creative director of Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani Accessories on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, with the appointment taking effect immediately.
The move makes Vitale the first designer from outside the Armani family to take creative charge of one of the group's lines. It also comes at an important time for the company, following the death of founder Giorgio Armani in September 2025 at age 91.
Vitale is not new to major Italian fashion houses. Before joining Armani, he spent more than a decade at Miu Miu and later had a short run leading Versace, giving him experience with brands that have very different styles and histories.
Who Is Dario Vitale?
Born in 1983 near Naples, Italy, Vitale studied fashion design at Istituto Marangoni in Milan and graduated in 2006. His early career included work at Dsquared2 and Bottega Veneta, where he worked during Tomas Maier's time as creative director.
Vitale joined Prada Group in 2010 and spent much of his career at Miu Miu. Working under Miuccia Prada and alongside designer Fabio Zambernardi, he rose through the company and eventually became design director of ready-to-wear and brand image director.
His long period at Miu Miu put him behind one of fashion's biggest recent growth stories. Miu Miu's retail sales rose 58 per cent in 2023 and another 93 per cent in 2024, although those figures reflect the work of the wider brand and cannot be credited to Vitale alone.
His Brief Run at Versace
Vitale left Miu Miu and was named Versace's chief creative officer in 2025, becoming the first person outside the Versace family to take the creative lead at the house. His arrival came as Donatella Versace moved into the role of chief brand ambassador.
His time there proved unusually short. Vitale presented only one main collection for Versace before leaving in December 2025, shortly after Prada Group completed its acquisition of the fashion house.
That collection looked back at the bold and sensual style linked to Versace in the 1980s and 1990s. His departure left Vitale without a major fashion-house role until Armani announced his next move in September 2026.
Armani Enters a New Era
The appointment is especially important because Armani spent decades with Giorgio Armani holding unusually tight control over his company and its design direction. After his death, Silvana Armani, who leads womenswear design, and Dell'Orco, who leads menswear design, continued overseeing the creative side of the business.
Armani chief executive Giuseppe Marsocci called Vitale's appointment an 'important milestone' that strengthens the group's creative structure. He also identified Emporio Armani as strategically important and Giorgio Armani accessories as a major opportunity for the company.
The change comes as the privately held Armani business also works through Giorgio Armani's succession plans. His will called for an initial 15 per cent stake in the company to be sold within 18 months of his death, making Vitale's arrival part of a much wider period of change for the fashion group.
When Will We See Vitale's Armani?
One detail remains unclear: Armani has not yet confirmed which collection will be the first designed under Vitale's full creative direction.
Before then, the Emporio Armani Summer 2027 collection is scheduled to be presented during Milan Fashion Week on 24 September 2026. The collection will also break from the label's usual format, with Armani choosing a presentation rather than its customary runway show.
What is confirmed is that Vitale has joined with immediate effect. After years spent largely behind the scenes at Miu Miu and a brief turn at Versace, he now becomes the first outside designer trusted with creative control of an Armani line.
