MILAN – At Milan Fashion Week on Friday, Versace hosted an “intimate event” to introduce Dario Vitale as the new creative director, taking place across two floors of a majestic 17th-century building. The gathering drew a crowd of enthusiastic Chinese pop star fans outside, holding clusters of green and light blue balloons.

Vitale’s first collection for Versace boldly revived the brand’s famously sensual style from the 1980s and 1990s. This was evident in the tightly-fitted high-waisted jeans, revealing open-sided T-shirts, dresses carelessly unfastened at the back, and vibrant bursts of primary colors.

The flamboyant energy of that decade was echoed in the show soundtrack of George Michael, Prince and Eurythmics.

Transition time

Vitale’s appointment signifies a significant shift for Versace; he is the third creative director after Gianni Versace, who was tragically killed in 1997, and his sister Donatella Versace, who led the creative direction until Vitale took over on April 1st. Donatella continues as the brand ambassador and greeted the 41-year-old Vitale as a supporter of emerging designers.

This leadership transition aligns with the Prada Group’s acquisition of Versace, a deal expected to conclude by the end of the year. Vitale’s previous experience at Miu Miu, a sister brand of Prada, makes this changeover particularly timely.

Taking the helm

Despite the pressure of being the first nonfamily member to hold this influential creative position at Versace, Vitale appeared at ease, talking to a group of journalists backstage post-show.

Growing up in Italy, he said, made him intimate with the Versace codes, “that kind of a bold attitude, very Italian.’’

“It’s something that’s embedded in culture, something universally understood,” he expressed. “That’s what’s special about this brand; everyone feels a connection to it, like they do with Coca-Cola.”

Because of that familiarity, when he went to the archives, it was less about picking out pieces to reinterpret and more to find “the spirit” of the founder, Gianni Versace, he said.

As he began to rework Versace for this season, Vitale said he looked for ways to express sexiness, like the dress left completely open in the back expressing the moment just before it drops to the floor, or reinterpreting that everyday Italian uniform of an undershirt, shirt and sweater in a sexy way.

“What is sexy? We will never get enough, we will keep on trying,’’ he said.

The venue

The staging reinforced a sense of decadence: Inside the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana art gallery, the rooms were styled like the noble home in disarray, with silver set out to be polished, a dog bed tucked in a corner, a work computer was turned on and a bed left unmade, with Vitale’s own sheets. “I needed that little niche where I go to stay,” he said.

Even the invitation — a love letter quoting Keats — was more about seeking human contact than organizing an event, he said, which also drives his expression of sexuality in the collection.

“You know, to me, it’s not even the sex. It’s more the experience. It’s about the smell, it’s about the tactile aspect of it. It’s about the souvenir of the next day. It’s not even that moment,’’ he said.

VIP Guests

Outside, fans clogged the tiny streets around the art gallery venue, cheering especially Chinese actor Ding Yuxi and Chinese singer Jingyi Ju. Other A-listers decked out in Versace for the premiere event were Romeo Beckham, U.S. actor Lily McInerny, South Korean singer Hyunjin and the South Korean coed group AllDay Project.