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Versace CEO Emmanuel Gintzburger Steps Down After Three Years
Leadership exit signals instability at Italian luxury house as sector faces margin pressure and succession challenges
Beatrice Comolli410 wordsEdition №32Wednesday, 1 July 2026 — Edition № 32

Emmanuel Gintzburger has stepped down as chief executive of Versace, The Business of Fashion reported on Wednesday. The departure comes three years into his tenure at the Italian luxury house, which is controlled by Blackstone-backed Capri Holdings and operates alongside brands including Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo. The exit follows a period of strategic repositioning at Versace as the house has sought to rebuild its menswear business and expand its leather goods portfolio in response to shifting consumer demand and margin compression across the luxury sector.
The resignation reflects broader turbulence in Italian luxury leadership. Julien Dossena's exit from Rabanne—announced the same week—underscores how European luxury houses are cycling through creative and operational talent as ownership structures become more complex and investor expectations for profitability and growth intensify. For Versace, the challenge is acute: the house must balance heritage and exclusivity with the financial demands of a large, publicly accountable parent company while competing against larger conglomerates like LVMH and Kering that can absorb margin pressure through portfolio diversification.
