Versace is one and triune in the new SS26 campaign The first (and last) campaign creatively directed by Dario Vitale

Dario Vitale's vision for Versace was perhaps difficult to grasp at first, but in recent months it has seduced every insider in the industry. That’s why, even after Vitale’s sudden departure from the brand after just one brilliant collection, the looks from the Milan show have appeared in a thousand editorials and been worn by every conceivable star, as well as on Harry Styles in the background photo of the site dedicated to We Belong Together.

Today finally arrives the brand’s first campaign for the SS26 season, and unfortunately also the last, dedicated precisely to Vitale’s collection—which we could perhaps provocatively describe as one and triune. The campaign is indeed singular, yet features three exceptional photographers: Steven Meisel, Frank Lebon, and Tania Franco Klein.

Why three photographers?

The campaign continues the Versace Embodied project presented before Vitale’s fashion week debut. The project was conceived as an ongoing “container” for artistic collaborations between the brand and various international artists and creatives across a wide range of disciplines. The goal was to create a unified image of the Versace spirit through a “polyphony” of viewpoints—and here that idea has been fully honored.

Steven Meisel chose to portray the campaign cast from above, in a group shot where everyone lies on top of one another in a way that vaguely recalls crowded Roman bas-reliefs as well as Versace’s FW82 campaign shot by Richard Avedon. Multidisciplinary artist Frank Lebon instead opted for more cinematic images, with intense light and shadow, set inside a car, a bathroom, and a house. Tania Franco Klein, on the other hand, adopted a mysterious, almost noir-film style, full of saturated colors glowing under theatrical lighting.

A narrative campaign

Beyond the collaborative intent and whichever of the three photo series one might prefer, one very striking aspect of the campaign is the settings and narrative dimensions. More and more, seasonal campaigns from major brands tend to abandon backgrounds and stories in favor of sterile studio shots against cold white backdrops. This lack of narrative often translates into a lack of intention. Versace’s latest campaign answers that void not only by creating a narrative, but by multiplying it.

In truth, several campaigns this season are returning to real backgrounds, stories, and settings. Yet the one directed by Vitale for Versace is perhaps the strongest of all, because it places the already very powerful statement pieces of the collection within a broader context that beautifully expands Vitale’s vision and the world he had imagined. It’s a shame that, in addition to being the first, this campaign will also be Vitale’s last for Versace. Still, we are certain that this talented creative director will soon make headlines again.