Versace says designer Vaccarello to leave company

Reuters
Italian designer Donatella Versace (L) greets designer Anthony Vaccarello at the end of his Autumn/Winter 2015/2016 women's ready-to-wear collection show during Paris Fashion Week March 3, 2015. Picture taken March 3, 2015. REUTERS/Charles Platiau

MILAN (Reuters) - Italian fashion house Versace said on Monday that Anthony Vaccarello would step down as creative director of its Versus Versace brand, in a move seen as a prelude for the Belgian designer to join Yves Saint Laurent. The French brand, which belongs to luxury group Kering, announced last week that its creative director Hedi Slimane was leaving and a source told Reuters he would be replaced by Vaccarello. Vaccarello, who is a fan of asymmetric designs, was seen as a potential replacement for Slimane as he will be able to provide more of the rock chic designs that Slimane introduced and which have proved popular for the Yves Saint Laurent brand. "Though I'm sorry to see Anthony Vaccarello leave the Versace family I wish him an extraordinary success," creative director Donatella Versace said in a statement. Separately, Vaccarello's own fashion house said the designer had no plans to abandon development of that brand. (Reporting by Valentina Za and Astrid Wendlandt; Editing by Susan Fenton)