Pieter Mulier at the CFDA Fashion Awards, at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, November 3, 2025. CARL TIMPONE/BFA.COM/SHUTTERSTOCK/SIPA
Rumors have been swirling in recent months: Pieter Mulier, the artistic director of Alaïa, was preparing to leave. On Friday, January 30, the Richemont Group house confirmed the news, saying that he would depart after a final show at the Paris womenswear fashion week at the start of March. The studio will manage the transition period until a new designer is appointed.
The press release did not, of course, specify the reasons for the split, but Mulier's name has been circulating in connection with Versace. In December 2025, the Italian brand parted ways with its designer Dario Vitale, who had been appointed just nine months earlier. The reasons for this early departure remain unclear, but it happened right after Versace was acquired by the Prada Group. It is reasonable to assume that the new owner already had someone in mind and cleared the way for them. The fact that it could be Mulier is all the more likely given his close relationship with Raf Simons, the co-artistic director of Prada. They worked together for a long time, at Raf Simons' own brand, at Dior and later at Calvin Klein.
