Inside Vitaly's "Opulent" SS25 Collection and Paris Showroom Event
Creative Director Zack Vitiello also sat down with Hypebeast to chat about the brand’s newest designs and future plans.
Vitaly has been pushing the envelope of jewelry design with its bold, genderless collections, serving over 375,000 customers with high-quality pieces. Known for their durability, Vitaly jewelry is waterproof, hypoallergenic, and guaranteed to never fade or tarnish, all backed by a lifetime warranty.
Founded in 2011, Vitaly is now led by Creative Director Zack Vitiello and has earned acclaim for its innovative technologies and nostalgic clubwear inspirations, culminating in the 2023 CAFA Award for Accessory Designer of the Year. Crafted from 100% recycled stainless steel, Vitaly’s collections are influenced by industrial manufacturing processes and subcultures tied to club music, offering tools for bold self-expression.
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Recently, Vitaly showcased its latest designs at Paris Fashion Week. Held from June 18 to 20 at Lucid Interval in the Le Marais district, the showroom featured the upcoming SS25 lineup in a minimalist, industrial-inspired setting. The event also highlighted the brand’s Opulence collection, aimed at expanding its stockist base and offering an intimate look at Vitaly’s latest creations. The showroom event included a party titled Vitaly Hyperlink: Paris Fashion Week, with performances by Chippy Nonstop, Karim Olen Ash, Broodoo Ramses, and Medussar, underscoring Vitaly’s commitment to bold, sustainable fashion and its influence on the global fashion landscape.
Additionally, Hypebeast had the chance to sit down with Creative Director Zack Vitiello and Head of Business Development Loretta Kim to delve deeper into their vision and future plans for Vitaly.
Can you describe the inspiration behind Vitaly’s SS25 Drops that will be displayed at Paris Fashion Week this year?
Zack Vitiello:
We had two collections on display at our PFW showroom — the first is titled “Debug” and is a play on the shapes and design cues found in turn-of-the-millennium electronics, music players and gaming systems — think of your vintage Discman, Gameboy or brightly-coloured iMac. It’s a nostalgic collection full of references to the items that shaped our understanding of technology.
The second collection we had on display is called “Opulence,” and it was inspired by the extravagance of 1980s nightlife. Think Studio54 — glamor, artists, cocaine, Bianca Jagger on a white horse — all channeled through a Vitaly lens. We were also thinking about how New York’s high-society existed alongside the growing punk subculture, and yet the two cultures were completely separate from one another. What would it look like if the punks had infiltrated Studio54? The resulting collection recontextualizes the ostentatious jewelry of the time through this punk lens, and the result is incredibly Vitaly.
What were some of the key themes or messages you aimed to convey through this display?
ZV:
This was our first-ever showroom in Paris, and we wanted our guests to come into the space and get an immediate, visceral feeling for the brand and the product. Made entirely from stone and concrete, the bunker-style space was the perfect compliment to our long-running infatuation with club culture and brutalist architecture. The roughness of the space was also an amazing contrast to the high-polish jewelry and crystal accents — our pieces were shining, and it really highlighted their quality. Once people came into the space and picked up the pieces and tried them on, we could see their faces change as they felt the weight and power of the designs — that reaction is always what we’re trying to bring out of people. We want them to feel empowered as soon as they touch the product.
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How did the setting of Paris influence the design and presentation of your showroom?
Loretta Kim:
The energy of the people in Paris and our guests truly brought our showroom to life. We chose a venue called Lucid Interval in the Marais, a space you could only find in Paris. It’s a dark, moody, brutalist space made of floor-to-ceiling concrete and stone. It was gorgeous, and we didn’t have to do much to make the space work for our brand. The moodiness of the venue set a more intimate vibe for our appointments, and by adding our neon Glyph logo in the center of the space, we created a showroom that blended Parisian charm with our own brand identity.
Can you highlight any innovative materials or techniques used in this season’s designs?
ZV:
In both of our upcoming collections, you’ll see a lot more experimentation with stones and crystals. For the Debug collection, we wanted to channel the playful energy of the 90s and early 2000s, so naturally we have some amazing new designs (including our first body chain) with shimmering crystals, colourful enamel beads and some really striking iridescent purple pearls. And then in the Opulence collection, we go even harder into the stone-setting, using genuine stones like green Zircon and Amethyst throughout the collection to create a really luxurious effect.
What sets the Pre-Fall collection apart from previous ones in terms of style and concept?
ZV:
The pieces in Opulence are marked by an impressive sense of scale. Everything feels bigger and more luxurious, with experimental silhouettes that are very different from anything we’ve ever done before. By approaching this collection from such a conceptual point of view, it allowed us to think beyond our own design language and really push the boundaries. We’re also leaning back into gold in a big way — a lot of our more industrial designs have been better suited to a steel finish, but the pieces in Opulence look stunning in gold. I’m particularly excited about some of the wrist cuffs we have coming — they look like elevated battle armor.
Could you share some insights into Vitaly’s innovative design process for this collection?
ZV:
We’ve always approached jewelry design more like industrial designers — a lot of jewelry making is quite artisanal, almost delicate in nature. But our process is much more technologically driven. There’s also a rawness to the manufacturing process of steel — it’s loud and hot, and there’s a lot of fire involved — it takes a lot of heat to melt solid steel. All of this impacts what the pieces end up looking like — instead of trying to create artisanal pieces that feel soft or delicate, we lean into the industrial nature of the manufacturing process. I think that’s why the resulting pieces look so different from a lot of other jewelry in the market.
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How do you see the fashion industry evolving, and where does Vitaly fit into this evolving landscape?
LK:
The industry has been evolving towards greater inclusivity and fluidity for some time, with many brands showcasing both men’s and women’s collections together, emphasizing a more gender-neutral offering. Vitaly fits perfectly into this landscape as we’ve never confined ourselves to being just “men’s jewelry” or just “women’s jewelry”. We’ve always made genderless pieces, and our ethos is “tools for self-expression,” which drives our team to create designs for everyone. We want everyone to be able to express themselves freely, without constraints.
Besides the Opulence collection, what else can you share about Vitaly’s upcoming projects? What else are you guys excited to explore in the coming months/years?
LK:
There is just so much to be excited about! This fall, we are launching a new brand-x-brand partnerships program that will be showcased during PFW markets. While we can’t reveal who we’re collaborating with just yet, we are thrilled about the opportunity to align with such talented designers. These partnerships promise to elevate Vitaly to new heights, and I can’t wait to share this exciting new chapter with our audience.
Take a look at Vitaly’s current offerings at its official website. Stay tuned to Vitaly for its upcoming Opulence collection and its full Spring/Summer ‘25 drop.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
