Armani names Dario Vitale creative director of Emporio Armani and accessories The Armani fashion group has appointed Dario Vitale as creative director of Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani Accessories, a year after the death of founder Giorgio Armani. The Armani fashion group has named Dario Vitale as creative director of Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani Accessories. The appointment, announced Wednesday, marks a first step in the group creative reorganization a year after the death of founder Giorgio Armani. Vitale is a veteran fashion insider who spent some 15 years at Miu Miu. He joins Armani after exiting Versace, where he served as creative director and left after just one season. In a statement, Armani said Vitale's appointment marked the beginning of a new chapter for the brand. The company said the move opens a dialogue between innovation and identity.The designer niece and head of womenswear design, Silvana Armani, along with longtime menswear designer Leo Dell'Orco, are carrying on his creative legacy at Armani principal collections. Emporio Armani is the line aimed at more youthful dressers. Vitale debut collection at Versace in September 2025 was a colorful, full-throttle return to the overtly sexualized Versace of the 1980s and 1990s. Vitale left the house after just one season.Prada, the parent company of Miu Miu, acquired Versace in December. Giorgio Armani will instructed his heirs to sell a 15 per cent stake in the company within 18 months of his death. The company includes the Emporio Armani label as well as Armani/Casa and Armani Hotels. The appointment signals a new era for the Italian fashion house.Vitale task will be to reshape Emporio Armani and the accessories lines while honoring the founder vision. The group has not announced when Vitale first collections will debut. Giorgio Armani receives his share of applause after presenting his Emporio Fall-Winter 2007-2008 men's fashion collection, during the Milan Men's Fashion Week, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Jan. 15, 2007. The image, taken by AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File, remains a defining moment of the brand history.Armani principal collections continue under the direction of Silvana Armani and Leo Dell'Orco. Their roles underscore the family and long-term design ties at the core of the business. The group operates across fashion, home and hospitality. Its portfolio includes Emporio Armani, Armani/Casa and Armani Hotels, making the reorganization significant beyond the runway.Vitale arrival comes at a time of shifting leadership across European fashion houses. His brief tenure at Versace and long run at Miu Miu make him a closely watched figure in the industry. The Armani group has not detailed the full scope of its creative reorganization. More changes are expected as the house balances tradition with new direction.