Rumours about Dario Vitale’s next career step have been rife for several weeks. The design director of the Prada group’s youth line Miu Miu, whose creative director is Miuccia Prada, is much sought-after and is reportedly about to leave the label.

Vitale has told his team he is set to leave at the end of January, according to a rumour reported by U.S. magazine WWD. According to information gleaned by FashionNetwork.com, Vitale’s departure is indeed confirmed, and so is the upcoming appointment as Miu Miu design director of Francesca Nicoletti, who has been working alongside Vitale for many years. Nicoletti, a graduate of the Istituto Marangoni, joined Miu Miu’s design team in 2010.

Vitale was born in southern Italy, and moved to Milan in the early 2000s to train at a fashion school. After joining the Prada group, Vitale has worked at Miu Miu for several years, eventually being promoted to the role of design director. He was confirmed in this post just a year ago, when the label’s design studio was reorganised following the departure of Fabio Zambardi, who had been with Prada for 40 years, overseeing design for both the luxury label’s main line and Miu Miu.

Vitale is recognised for the quality of his work and Miu Miu’s positive results, and his standing has risen in recent months, in step with the label’s explosive growth. In 2023, Prada’s ‘little sister’ recorded a 58% increase in revenue, to €649 million. Its growth pace has further accelerated in 2024, with revenue soaring by 97.3% to reach €854 million in the first nine months of the year. In parallel, Miu Miu took once again the top spot in Lyst’s ranking of the most popular fashion brands in Q3.

A notable performance, while the luxury market is facing an unprecedented crisis. It goes without saying that the transfer market for fashion labels is frenetic. Labels are vying to snap up the most promising designers, and are ready to do anything to find the rare gem that will allow them to boost their sales.

This year, Miu Miu has also had to deal with the departure of Benedetta Petruzzo, its CEO since 2020, who joined LVMH in October to become deputy managing director of Christian Dior Couture. Miu Miu is still looking for a CEO.