In a landmark decision that signals a bold new chapter for one of Italian fashion’s most revered houses, the Armani Group has announced the appointment of Dario Vitale as the creative director of Emporio Armani. In addition to steering the diffusion line, Vitale will assume the role of creative director of Giorgio Armani Accessories. Effective immediately, his debut collection for the house will be the Fall/Winter 2027 season, slated to show early next year.
The much-anticipated announcement marks a historic milestone for the Armani Group. For the first time in the company’s history, an external designer has been placed in direct creative charge of one of its signature lines. Following the death of founder and owner Giorgio Armani last year at the age of 91, the house has steadily navigated its transition into a new era while preserving the distinct design language established over decades.
For Vitale, this appointment brings a second major career distinction in less than two years. In April 2025, he made headlines when he began work as the first non-Versace family member ever to oversee design at Versace. However, his tenure there was cut short after just eight months following the Prada Group’s acquisition of the company. Vitale’s familiarity with the upper echelons of Italian corporate fashion also includes a fourteen-year tenure at Miu Miu, an experience that aligns closely with his new responsibilities at Emporio Armani.
Expressing his gratitude and sense of purpose regarding the appointment, Vitale shared his thoughts on joining the historic house. "I am honored to take on this dual role across Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani, and deeply grateful to Silvana and Leo for welcoming me into their world," Vitale said. "Armani has a powerful legacy and unmistakable design language; a heritage that has spanned decades and shaped the history of fashion. I approach all of this with a deep sense of responsibility and excitement as we build upon that rich foundation, defining a new era together."
Founded in 1981, Emporio Armani was originally envisioned by Giorgio Armani as a more accessible, lower-priced diffusion line. Initially anchored by a strong focus on denim, it was designed to serve as a metropolitan conduit, drawing younger consumers toward his eponymous mainline. "Emporio is my vision of fashion explored from another angle, which is more metropolitan and extremely transversal in terms of generation," Armani once reflected.
Vitale’s arrival embodies that generational vision in a literal sense. Born in 1983, Vitale is only slightly older than Giorgio Armani was when he first founded the company in 1975. For the vast majority of its existence, Emporio Armani was personally helmed by its creator, operating alongside Giorgio Armani, Armani Privé, and the broader universe of signature designs. The final Emporio collection overseen by the founder, Spring/Summer 2026, was presented in Milan shortly after his passing on September 4, 2025. That most recent collection was co-designed by Armani’s designated creative heirs: his niece, Silvana Armani, 71, and his long-term partner and collaborator, Leo Dell’Orco, 73.
In a joint statement, Silvana Armani and Leo Dell’Orco welcomed the incoming creative director, emphasizing the deep emotional and creative ties they hold to the brand. "Emporio Armani is much more than a line for us: it is a reality to which we are deeply connected, having followed and shared its journey since the very beginning," they noted. "Emporio was born as a space of freedom, experimentation, and energy, and we are convinced that Dario’s arrival in our team, as a talent already established on the international stage, will interpret its spirit with respect and authenticity."
Vitale arrives at Emporio Armani following a period of intense professional turbulence that made his next career move a subject of immense industry speculation. His first and only collection for Versace—the Spring/Summer 2026 line presented in Milan in September 2025—was met with widespread critical acclaim. Fashion observers praised Vitale for successfully reconnecting Versace with the youthful, sexually charged energy championed by its late founder, Gianni Versace, while simultaneously introducing a contemporary visual vocabulary.
The collection achieved an unusually long afterlife, being pulled extensively by stylists for magazine covers and high-profile red-carpet appearances. Look 50, featuring a standout sequinned bra, gained particularly massive traction across media platforms. Despite this success, Vitale’s time at Versace was cut short by corporate restructuring. Prada Group completed a €1.25 billion acquisition of Versace from Capri Holdings late in 2025, and Vitale’s departure was confirmed just days later.
Before his brief but impactful stint at Versace, Vitale spent more than a decade shaping the trajectory of Miu Miu. Joining the brand in 2010, he eventually rose to become the design director of ready-to-wear and head of image. Working closely alongside Miuccia Prada, Vitale helped orchestrate the brand’s transformation into one of the industry’s most influential and commercially successful labels. In 2024, Miu Miu reported a staggering 93% surge in sales, serving as a powerful financial and cultural engine for the Prada Group.
That extensive background in balancing distinct brand identities within larger corporate structures makes Vitale uniquely suited for Emporio Armani. Earlier in his career, he also honed his craft working under Tomas Maier at Bottega Veneta and alongside Dean and Dan Caten at Dsquared2.
Vitale’s appointment arrives at a critical juncture for the Armani Group as a whole. Under the terms of Giorgio Armani’s will, his heirs are mandated to sell a 15% stake in the company within 18 months of his death, with an additional block ranging from 30% to 54.9% slated to be sold to the same buyer three to five years later. The will outlined three preferred corporate buyers for these transactions: L’Oréal, LVMH, and EssilorLuxottica. The initial deadline for this transition falls in March 2027.
Financially, the Armani Group remains a formidable powerhouse. In 2025, the group reported revenues of €2.2 billion, marking a minor 2.8% decrease at constant exchange rates, while total turnover including direct licensee sales reached €4 billion. The company is currently led by CEO Giuseppe Marsocci, a 23-year company veteran who succeeded the founder in the role in October 2025. Today’s structural announcements underscore that the leadership team is actively shaping the brand’s creative future rather than waiting for external stakeholders to dictate its trajectory.
Commenting on the appointment, CEO Giuseppe Marsocci emphasized the strategic importance of the decision. "The appointment of Dario Vitale marks an important milestone for the Armani Group: a decision that strengthens our creative organization and confirms our commitment to looking ahead, consolidating the Group’s path of evolution while remaining faithful to Giorgio Armani’s values and vision," Marsocci said. "Emporio Armani is a brand of strategic relevance for us and our partners around the world. Giorgio Armani accessories represent a great opportunity. We look to this new phase with enormous confidence."
Since the passing of the founder, the core Giorgio Armani mainline has continued under the creative guidance of Silvana Armani for womenswear and Leo Dell’Orco for menswear. Both veterans worked alongside Giorgio Armani for decades on collections that defined Italian elegance. They have also historically contributed to the design framework of Emporio Armani. The company announced that their upcoming final co-ed Emporio collection will be shown in a presentation format, providing a natural runway transition before Vitale officially unveils his debut Fall/Winter 2027 collection early next year.
With his new dual role across Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani Accessories, Dario Vitale steps into a position of immense responsibility, armed with the industry-wide hope that his visionary approach will help secure and expand upon one of the most storied legacies in modern fashion.
