Gianni Versace Spa has announced today that Christopher Kane is to abandon his post as designer for its Versus line. The move is part of a major strategic repositioning of the label in order to reflect changes in new trends in the fashion industry and to capture wider market opportunities. In addition, the company (under Donatella Versace’s creative leadership) has announced that it intends to focus on digital communications as a way to appeal to young consumers; develop capsule collections created in collaboration with young designers, stylists, and creatives from different walks of life; showcase new lines via presentation-events (which won’t necessarily coincide with the traditional runway format during fashion weeks); and distribute directly through new direct stores, franchising agreements, multi-brand and department stores, as well as a digital flagship store.