Donatella Versace is stepping down as the creative director of her late brother's namesake fashion brand Versace.
The Italian fashion icon announced on Thursday that she will be stepping down from her position as chief creative officer after almost 30 years in April. She will remain with the company in a new capacity as Chief Brand Ambassador.
The 69-year-old will be replaced by Dario Vitale, who will be the first designer outside of the Versace family to take on the role.
"I am thrilled that Dario Vitale will be joining us, and excited to see Versace through new eyes. I want to thank my incredible design team and all the employees at Versace that I have had the privilege of working with for over three decades," Donatella said in a statement.
"It has been the greatest honor of my life to carry on my brother Gianni's legacy. He was the true genius, but I hope I have some of his spirit and tenacity," she continued. "In my new role as Chief Brand Ambassador, I will remain Versace's most passionate supporter. Versace is in my DNA and always in my heart."
The luxury fashion house was founded by Donatella's brother Gianni Versace in 1978. She inherited a portion of the Versace brand and became its creative director after he was killed in 1997.
According to Vogue, Vitale was born in Italy in 1983 and began his fashion career at Bottega Veneta. He was most recently the design director and brand image director of Miu Miu.
"I am truly honored to join Versace as the Chief Creative Officer and to be a part of this special and powerful fashion luxury House created by Gianni and Donatella," he added. "I want to express my sincere thank you to Donatella for her trust in me, and for her tireless dedication to the extraordinary brand that Versace is today. It is a privilege to contribute to the future growth of Versace and its global impact through my vision, expertise and dedication."
Vitale is expected to debut his first collection for Versace during Milan Fashion Week in September.