The fashion world could have one last big surprise in store before the end of the year. The newly vacant position of creative director at Versace is causing a lot of speculation – but some observers believe that the mystery could soon be solved.
According to several media outlets, including Women’s Wear Daily, Alaïa creative director Pieter Mulier is set to join the Milanese house and its parent company, Prada Group.
Mulier, who has been instrumental in Alaïa’s success since 2021, already knows the Prada Group’s most influential creatives very well. He is best known for his long-standing collaboration with Raf Simons. He was his right-hand man at Dior and also worked on Simons’ sites at Calvin Klein and Jil Sander. At Calvin Klein, Mulier himself became creative director and was responsible for implementing Simons’ vision in the areas of women’s and men’s ready-to-wear. Simons regularly brought Mulier onto the runway for a bow and sat front row at most Alaïa shows.
His close connection to Simons, who runs the main line alongside Miuccia Prada, could now pave the way for the designer to potentially move to Versace.
Back to heritage?
At the helm of Versace is Lorenzo Bertelli, the newly appointed executive chairman who was apparently instrumental in letting Dario Vitale go after just one season. According to sources, Bertelli is not planning a radical reorientation of the brand, but wants it to be more closely linked to the style of the founding family – an approach that Mulier, who has led Alaïa for over four years, has already successfully implemented.
Since joining the traditional French house, Mulier has not only developed his own, unmistakable creative signature, but has also remained true to Azzedine Alaïa’s vision.
Since his debut for the Spring/Summer 2022 collection, he has focused on craftsmanship, innovation and bold volumes, while building a strong accessories offering – particularly shoes and bags – to complement the ready-to-wear collections.
This strategy has proven particularly successful for the parent company Richemont. Under Mulier, Alaïa is considered a key growth driver within the fashion and leather goods segment and achieved double-digit growth rates during his tenure. According to WWD, the brand has more than doubled in size since Mulier’s arrival.
It’s no surprise that Richemont is reportedly delaying Mulier’s departure. Negotiations regarding his move are still ongoing and a contract with Versace has not yet been signed. However, should the move happen, Mulier’s arrival would further strengthen the growing Belgian presence in Milan, alongside Raf Simons at Prada, Glenn Martens at Diesel and Maison Margiela and Meryll Rogge at Marni.