Armani looks beyond inner circle as it adds Dario Vitale to design team

By Elisa Anzolin

MILAN, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Italian fashion group Armani named former Versace designer Dario Vitale as creative director of Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani accessories, the company's most significant appointment to its design team since founder Giorgio Armani died last year.

Vitale will be the first designer from outside the Armani family to hold the role, as the group enters a pivotal period ahead of a planned sale of a 15% stake in the company and as the sector struggles to recover.

"The appointment of Dario Vitale marks an important milestone for the Armani Group," Chief Executive Giuseppe Marsocci said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that it "strengthens our creative organisation and confirms our commitment to looking ahead... while remaining faithful to Giorgio Armani’s values and vision".

Since Giorgio Armani's death in September last year, creative duties have been shared by his niece Silvana Armani, head of womenswear design, and Armani's partner Leo Dell'Orco, head of menswear design.

Both longtime collaborators of the late founder, they have sought to stay true to Armani's aesthetic of refined and understated elegance, while bringing subtle touches of innovation.

They have also been responsible for Emporio Armani, the group's more casual line positioned just below its flagship luxury brand. The label's summer 2027 collection will be unveiled on September 24 during Milan Fashion Week, but unexpectedly through a presentation rather than the customary runway show, the company said.

Vitale, who worked at Prada's Miu Miu for more than a decade but left as Versace's creative director in December after only a few months in that role, will join the Armani Group with immediate effect.

Vitale said that the fashion house had a powerful legacy and distinctive design codes.

 "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," he added in the statement.

(Reporting by Elisa Anzolin, editing by Alvise Armellini and Keith Weir)