Brands
Versace appoints Pieter Mulier as chief creative officer
MILAN: Versace has chosen Pieter Mulier to chart its next creative chapter, handing the Alaïa designer the role of chief creative officer as the Italian luxury house reshapes itself under Prada Group ownership.
The appointment, announced jointly by Prada Group and Versace, puts Mulier at the creative helm of one of fashion’s most recognisable brands, with a brief to honour its bold heritage while sharpening its future edge. Mulier will report to executive chairman Lorenzo Bertelli.
“When we considered the Versace acquisition, we identified Pieter Mulier as the right person for the brand. We believe that he can truly unlock Versace’s full potential and that he will be able to engage in a fruitful dialogue with the brand’s strong legacy. We are excited to begin this journey together,” Bertelli said.
Mulier arrives with decades of experience shaping distinctive aesthetics at some of the world’s leading fashion houses. Over his career, he has worked closely with Raf Simons and contributed to the success of brands such as Jil Sander, Dior and Calvin Klein.
After studying design and architecture, he was selected by Simons to join Jil Sander, serving as head of accessories, shoes and bags. He later became design director at Christian Dior, then global creative director at Calvin Klein, before taking on the creative director role at Maison Alaïa, where his work drew critical acclaim for modernising couture codes.
His move to Versace comes soon after Prada Group completed its acquisition of the label in December 2025. The deal, first announced in April 2025, saw Prada agree to buy 100 per cent of Versace from US-based Capri Holdings for about $1.38 billion. The transaction, one of the largest in Italy’s luxury sector in recent years, returned the Medusa-emblazoned house to Italian ownership.
For Versace, the message is clear: heritage will be protected, but the tempo will quicken. With Mulier in charge, the house is betting that disciplined design and fresh energy can turn legacy into momentum — and momentum into growth.
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
