Dario Vitale Is the New Creative Director of Emporio Armani & Giorgio Armani Accessories

Dario Vitale has landed on his feet. The designer, who spent less than a year at Versace before an unceremonious departure, has taken on a dual job as both the creative director of Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani Accessories. He is the first person outside of the Armani family to hold the position.

Vitale joins the Armani team just over a year after Giorgio Armani’s death. Emporio Armani was initially created as a lower-priced diffusion line, but has since emerged as the main line's almost-as-luxurious younger sister. Giorgio designed for Emporio, alongside the main line and Armani Privé throughout his life. His last collection for Emporio, created for the spring/summer 2026 season, was presented after his death in September 2025. More recently, Emporio was helmed by Giorgio’s niece Silvana Armani, 71, and long-term partner Leo Dell’Orco, 73. As a result of this news, Emporio Armani also announced that its upcoming Emporio Armani spring show, scheduled for September 24 and designed by Leo Dell’Orco and Silvana Armani, will now eschew a runway show in favor of a presentation.

“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,” Armani and Dell’Orco said in a statement. “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’s next step has been much speculated about for some time. In March 2025, he was named chief creative officer of Versace. As with Emporio Armani now, Vitale was the first non-Versace to design for the family brand. He produced one collection and left in December of that year, not long after Prada Group bought Versace. Vitale’s singular collection was beloved by customers and stylists. It was celebrated for its appreciation of Versace’s bold, sexually charged past while still maintaining a focus on a more contemporary future. The collection has since been featured in numerous magazine editorials and worn by celebrities including Julia Roberts, Amanda Seyfried, and Olivia Dean, among others.

Born near Naples, Italy in 1983, Vitale graduated from Istituto Marangoni before beginning his career at Dsquared2. After one year, he moved on to Bottega Veneta, where he worked under Tomas Maier. In 2010, he joined Miu Miu and eventually worked his way up to design director of ready-to-wear before leaving in January 2025 for the Versace job.

“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 in a statement. “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.”