Upate: A representatives for Virgil Abloh has told Business of Fashion there is “no truth” to the speculation. Versace also denied the news, telling the publication, “This is categorically untrue.”
Truthfully, this is good news. Abloh’s Off White is just beginning to hit its stride and is setting itself up to to be a truly great American-with-global-twist fashion brand. If Abloh were to expend energy trying to revive the troubled Versace, surely his own label and other collaborative efforts would suffer. At this point, he no longer needs the resume accolades that would come with going to Versace. Actually it’s the reverse.
Read the original story below.
Off White designer Virgil Abloh is reportedly in the midst of signing a deal with Italian luxury label Versace that would bring him on as the label’s head creative. The news was reported earlier today (August 31, 2017) by Glossy, which sited confirmation from two sources close to Abloh.
Abloh was rumored to replace Riccardo Tisci when he stepped down from Givenchy earlier this year in February, but the rumor was batted down as false by executives not long after it went live. Abloh has made it clear he eventually would like to lead a global luxury label.
Tisci was said to be headed to Versace, but that deal fell apart never came to fruition. According to Glossy,”[Tisci’s] wish to wipe the brand clean of her name and replace it with his own (i.e., “Versace by Riccardo Tisci”) rubbed her the wrong way and ultimately soured the deal.”
Glossy reached out to both Abloh and Versace and neither responded with comment.
