Versace is officially on standby. The brand currently finds itself floating in the liminal space between two creative directors. After showing just one (highly praised) collection for the Italian heritage brand, Dario Vitale was in and out the door before he’d had time to claim a desk.

Following the brand’s acquisition by Mrs P and the Prada Group last December, it was announced shortly after that former Alaïa designer Pieter Mulier would be taking the reins as creative director. Mulier’s first day in the office was July 1, meaning he’s almost completed his first month on the job, but won’t show his debut Versace collection until February 2027. Until then, the brand remains in limbo, and today (July 30), it has revealed a new campaign unattributed to any designer. 

As unveiled exclusively to Dazed, the campaign marks the second chapter in the brand's Versace Obsessed series, photographed by Steven Meisel and creative directed by Ferdinando Verderi. If it looks familiar, that’s because the AW26 images don’t stray too far from the SS26 campaign, which was also captured by Meisel (alongside Frank Lebon and Tania Franco Klein). Once again, the models are shot from above, this time posing on the floor next to fragments of Versace’s history – rare books and magazine covers from the 90s and 00s, photographed by Meisel. 

While we’re yet to see Mulier’s vision for the brand, the Versace aesthetic is already fairly recognisable. With the new campaign, the house revisits its archives, honouring the bold foundations established by founders Gianni and Donatella Versace. It’s intention? To bring together “the grit and glamour, the divine and dirty, classicism and the street,” according to the release. 

Deferring to the house codes and playing to its own strengths is the perfect way for Versace to honour its history, while it awaits its next chapter. A gentle reminder of its impact and legacy as it closes one door and opens the next.

Scroll through the gallery at the top of the page to see the new campaign