MILAN, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Versace, the Italian fashion brand which last year was acquired by rival Prada 1913.HK, said it had appointed as its new creative director Pieter Mulier, the outgoing designer of Richemont-owned CFR.S Alaia.

Parisian fashion house Alaia, part of the Swiss luxury goods group that also owns jeweller Cartier, announced last month Mulier would leave after its Paris Fashion Week show in March.

The Belgian designer joined Alaia in 2021, having previously served as global creative director at Calvin Klein and, before that, as design director at Christian Dior.

Prada, which completed the acquisition of Versace in December, is focusing on relaunching the brand after a period of declining sales under its previous owner Capri Holdings CPRI.N, amid a broader slowdown in luxury demand.

Lorenzo Bertelli, the son of Prada owners Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli and now Versace's executive chairman, said in a statement Mulier was the right person to "unlock Versace's full potential and engage in a fruitful dialogue with the brand's strong legacy".

Mulier will start the job in July.

His appointment follows the exit of Versace's previous creative director, Dario Vitale, who left the brand at the end of 2025 after only a few months in the role.

(Reporting by Elisa Anzolin; Writing by Claudia Crstoferi; Editing by Valentina Za)

((elisa.anzolin@thomsonreuters.com; 0039 0266129692;))