Fashion’s campaign reset in 2026
Versace’s Spring/Summer 2026 campaign arrives at a moment of strategic turbulence and creative flux for the Italian house. It is the swan song of Dario Vitale’s brief tenure, and a vivid marker of how luxury fashion is reconfiguring the way it communicates identity and intent ruthlessly.
A high-stakes last testament
Donatella Versace, who guided the label for nearly three decades after her brother Gianni’s murder, stepped back in early 2025, becoming chief brand ambassador, while Dario Vitale—a longtime design director at Miu Miu—took the reins. His appointment was historic: the first non‑family creative director since Donatella assumed control.
However, barely eight months later, in December 2025, Vitale’s exit was announced—days after Prada Group finalized its $1.25 billion acquisition of Versace from Capri Holdings. Industry observers saw the timing as deliberate; new ownership often brings a new creative agenda, and Vitale was not Prada’s own choice to lead the house.
There are also rumors that attention quickly shifted to Pieter Mulier, who had recently exited Alaïa. In Paris, his empty seat drew eyes, but the fashion world’s gaze soon turned to Milan, where speculation grew that he could be a strong contender for the vacancy at Versace following Dario Vitale’s swift departure.
Looking back at Vitale’s first and final campaign, the SS26 collection feels like a high-stakes last testament to his vision. Rather than enforcing cohesion, the campaign allows contrast to exist, presenting what Versace describes as “three distinct visions, coalescing to stir a feeling and attitude.”
Three visions for Versace SS26
The house tapped three photographers—Steven Meisel, Frank Lebon, and Tania Franco Klein—to articulate the brand as layered, contradictory, performance-oriented, and socially literate.
Meisel’s contribution emphasizes form and legacy, with group compositions that recall classical Roman bas-reliefs and echo Richard Avedon’s iconic Fall/Winter 1982 campaign. Lebon focuses on intimacy and movement, staging cinematic scenes in cars, bathrooms, and domestic interiors where light and shadow heighten the garments’ emotional impact. Meanwhile, Franco Klein brings an enigmatic touch, using saturated colors and theatrical lighting to create images suspended between realism and fiction.
Together, these perspectives form a visual polyphony rather than a single narrative. This triptych approach extends the “Versace Embodied” project, which frames collaboration with artists across disciplines. The SS26 campaign allows the Versace identity to emerge through different moods, spaces, and points of view.
Shift in fashion campaigns
The multiplicity of the campaign reflects a broader shift in how fashion campaigns are constructed in 2026. Luxury houses no longer treat campaigns as static product catalogs; they are now meant to satisfy audiences who value narrative as much as craftsmanship.
Fashion is now consumed in fragments—across social platforms, editorials, and global contexts—where variety enhances reach and relevance. Instead of relying on one “perfect” visual, campaigns deliver multiple moods, settings, and narratives, functioning as flexible content across feeds, formats, and cultural spaces.
As the BoF‑McKinsey State of Fashion 2026 report highlights, 47 percent of global customers view a brand’s story as a significant factor in perceiving it as high-end. The report also notes the role of store formats and visual merchandising in differentiating a brand.
The use of real environments and narrative scenes reflects a move away from sterile studio imagery. In 2026, campaigns prioritize context and storytelling, situating garments within moments rather than isolating them. This approach addresses audience fatigue with overly controlled visuals and reinforces the idea that fashion gains meaning through interaction and atmosphere.
