Long-time Prada design director reportedly set to exit

Fabio Zambernardi, the long-time design director at the Prada Group, is believed to be set to leave his role in October following the unveiling of spring 2024 collections.

The alleged move would come more than four decades after Zambernardi initially entered the group and went on to work closely with Miuccia Prada.

Speculation around his exit had been reported on WWD, which cited market sources and noted that the Prada Group did not comment on the speculation.

Zambernardi’s relationship with Prada goes back as far as 1981 when he had been collaborating with the brand before receiving a promotion to show design director in 1997, and later design fashion coordinator in 1999.

He took on his current role of design director for Prada and Miu Miu in November 2002, during which time he has overseen all divisions of the two brands, including ready-to-wear and footwear.

Prada Group has been undergoing a leadership shift as a whole in recent months amid consistent reports of “solid results” across its portfolio of luxury brands.

In January, Andrea Guerra joined the group as chief executive officer as the conglomerate hailed a “strong start to the year” with growth across markets and product categories, as well as a rebound in demand in China.

For H1, Prada’s net revenues increased 20 percent, while its retail sales were up 21 percent, driven by like-for-like full price sales.

Patrizio Bertelli, the group’s chairman and executive director, credited the “desirability of its brands” and “disciplined execution” as prime factors for these increases.