"Always in the heart"

End of an era: Donatella Versace steps down!

Donatella Versace has been celebrated for creations such as Jennifer Lopez's legendary jungle dress. Now the designer is stepping down as creative director of Versace.(Bild: Viennareport)

An era is coming to an end: as Donatella Versace confirmed on Instagram on Thursday, she is stepping down from Versace. The designer has been at the helm of the luxury label since the death of her brother Gianni Versace in 1997.

After more than 25 years at the helm of Versace, Donatella Versace has now officially stepped down as creative director of the label. The 69-year-old designer shared the news with her fans on Instagram on Thursday. As Versace explained, Dario Vitale will take over the position of Chief Creative Officer at Versace from April 1st.

Dario Vitale takes over from Versace
"Supporting the next generation of designers has always been important to me," explained the fashion icon in her post. "I am delighted that Dario Vitale is joining us and excited to see Versace through new eyes."

Versace also thanked "my amazing design team and everyone at Versace with whom I have had the pleasure of working for over three decades".

"The greatest honor of my life"
It has been "the greatest honor of my life" to "continue the legacy of my brother Gianni", Versace continued. "He was the true genius, but I hope I have some of his spirit and tenacity." 

However, Donatella Versace promised that she would not turn her back on Versace completely. "In my role as the new Chief Brand Ambassador, I will remain Versace's most passionate supporter. Versace is in my DNA and always in my heart."

Billion-dollar takeover by Prada?
The departure from Versace comes after reports of an alleged billion-dollar takeover of Versace by Prada. A price of almost 1.5 billion euros had been agreed, Bloomberg reported at the beginning of March, citing people familiar with the matter.

Prada could complete the takeover of Versace before the end of March. The parent company Capri Holdings, which also owns the luxury brands Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo, had previously put Versace in the shop window after the US fashion group Tapestry withdrew its offer to swallow Capri for around 8.5 billion dollars in November.