Bertelli made the announcement about his next role on an Italian-language Bloomberg podcast Wednesday.
He said he doesn’t expect any big shake-ups at Versace at least for the first year after the acquisition is complete as he gets to know the company and its executive team. But he underlined that the 47-year-old fashion house founded by the late Gianni Versace has been underperforming its potential.
“The brand is much bigger than the revenue that it is generating,’’ Bertelli said, noting that Versace remains among the top global fashion brands.
The Prada Group announced in April the deal to buy crosstown fashion rival Versace from the U.S. luxury group Capri Holding, putting Versace’s sexy silhouettes under the same roof as Prada’s “ugly chic” aesthetic and Miu Miu’s youth-driven market.
Versace represented 20% of its current owner’s 2024 revenue of 5.2 billion euros.
In a presentation on the deal last spring, Prada estimated that Versace would make up 13% of the Prada Group’s pro-forma revenues, with Miu Miu coming in at 22% and Prada at 64%. The Prada Group, which also includes the Church’s and Car Shoe brands, reported a 17% boost in revenues to 5.4 billion euros last year.