The Belgian designer’s Paris debut brings Atelier Versace back to the runway after more than a decade. At its centre is a conversation with a brand that has made the body a signature.
Pieter Mulier’s debut at the creative helm of Versace will begin with haute couture. In January, the Belgian designer will present his first collection for Atelier Versace in Paris, bringing a line absent from the runways since July 2016 back into the show calendar. The appointment is scheduled during couture week, from 25 to 28 January 2027; the date and venue will be announced later.
In the intervening years, Atelier continued its work through collections and made-to-measure pieces for private clients and celebrities. Its most recent collection was Spring/Summer 2023.
The body has always been central to Gianni Versace’s fashion. The Oroton metal mesh introduced in 1982 is one example: tiny metal elements became a fluid surface able to follow the figure. Draping, close-fitting cuts and decisive colours helped build a language that was immediately recognisable, in which sensuality also came from the way a garment was made.
At Alaïa, Mulier worked on related ground while exploring very different possibilities. In the Autumn 2025 collection, padding and circular structures widened the figure at the hips, while some skirts descended from those forms through woven elements. In his final show for the brand, in 2026, the design became more essential: close-fitting jersey dresses, coats and suits relying on the precision of the cut.
The Versace archive gives Mulier many points of reference. The challenge will be to use them to make clothes recognisable as Versace while leaving room for a personal vision. An early sign arrived in August, when Nicole Kidman wore an Atelier Versace dress by the designer to the premiere of Practical Magic 2: hand-inlaid black lace and an asymmetric skirt. A garment made for a specific occasion, ahead of the collection’s presentation.
The return of Atelier is part of the Prada Group’s plan. Prada acquired Versace in December 2025 and aims to strengthen its positioning, increase full-price sales and reduce its presence in outlets. In the first nine months of 2026, the brand contributed €441 million in net revenue to the group’s total of €4.54 billion.
Ready-to-wear is expected in Milan during Fashion Week, from 23 February to 1 March 2027. After Atelier will come the clothes made for stores: another test for Mulier, who must bring his work to a wider
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