Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian
luxury
Luxury may refer to:
* Luxury goods, an economic good or service for which demand increases more than proportionally as income rises
*Luxury tax, tax on products not considered essential, such as expensive cars
**Luxury tax (sports), surcharge pu ...
fashion company founded by
Gianni Versace
Giovanni Maria "Gianni" Versace (; 2 December 1946 – 15 July 1997) was an Italian fashion designer, socialite and businessman. He was the founder of Versace, an international luxury-fashion house that produces accessories, fragrances, make-u ...
in 1978 known for flashy prints and bright colors.
The company produces Italian-made
ready-to-wear
Ready-to-wear (or ''prêt-à-porter''; abbreviated RTW; "off-the-rack" or "off-the-peg" in casual use) is the term for ready-made garments, sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, as distinct from made-to-measure or bespoke clothing ...
and accessories, as well as ''
haute couture'' under its Atelier Versace brand and licenses its name and branding to
Luxottica
Luxottica Group S.p.A. is an Italian eyewear conglomerate and the world's largest company in the eyewear industry. It is based in Milan, Italy.
Luxottica is a vertically integrated company, which has been described as a monopoly—it designs, ma ...
for eyewear. Being Gianni Versace a native of
Calabria
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, in the ancient
Magna Grecia (Greater Greece), the company logo is inspired by
Medusa
In Greek mythology, Medusa (; Ancient Greek: Μέδουσα "guardian, protectress"), also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those ...
, a figure from Greek mythology.
History and operations
![Gianni Versace evening dress vintage](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Gianni_Versace_evening_dress_vintage.jpg)
In 1972,
Gianni Versace
Giovanni Maria "Gianni" Versace (; 2 December 1946 – 15 July 1997) was an Italian fashion designer, socialite and businessman. He was the founder of Versace, an international luxury-fashion house that produces accessories, fragrances, make-u ...
designed his first collections for Callaghan, Genny, and Complice. In 1978, the company launched under the name "Gianni Versace Donna”
and opened its first boutique in Milan's
Via della Spiga
Via della Spiga (; literally "Alley of the Ear") is one of the Italian city of Milan's top shopping streets, forming the north-east boundary of the luxurious '' Quadrilatero della Moda'' (literally, "fashion quadrilateral"), along with Via Monte ...
. Gianni independently controlled much of the brand, from designing to retailing.
In 1982, the company expanded its offerings to include accessories, jewelry, home furnishings, and china.
In 1993, Donatella Versace added the Young Versace and Versus lines.
In 1994, the brand gained international coverage from the
black Versace dress of Elizabeth Hurley
English actress and model Elizabeth Hurley wore a black Versace dress, often referred to as "THAT Dress", when she accompanied Hugh Grant to the premiere of '' Four Weddings and a Funeral'' in 1994. The dress was held together by several oversiz ...
, referred in the media as "that dress".
Versace has designed for various music artists, including stage and album cover costumes for
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
in 1992 and outfits for
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
. Versace also designed clothing for the
Princess of Wales
Princess of Wales (Welsh: ''Tywysoges Cymru'') is a courtesy title used since the 14th century by the wife of the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. The current title-holder is Catherine (née Middleton).
The title was firs ...
and
Princess Caroline of Monaco
Princess Caroline of Monaco (Caroline Louise Marguerite; born 23 January 1957) is, by her marriage to Prince Ernst August, the Princess of Hanover. As the eldest child of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and Grace Kelly, she is the elder siste ...
.
After the murder of Gianni Versace in 1997, his sister Donatella, formerly vice-president, took over as
creative director
A creative director (or creative supervisor) is a person who makes high-level creative decisions and, with those decisions, oversees the creation of creative assets such as advertisements, products, events, or logos. Creative director positions ar ...
, and his older brother
Santo Versace became
CEO. Donatella's daughter
Allegra Versace was left a 50 percent stake in the company, which she assumed control of on her eighteenth birthday.
In 2000, the
green Versace dress worn by
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
at the
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
gained extensive media attention. The dress was voted the fifth most iconic dress of all time and Elizabeth Hurley's
black Versace dress was voted most iconic dress of all time, according to a 2008 ''
Daily Telegraph
Daily or The Daily may refer to:
Journalism
* Daily newspaper, newspaper issued on five to seven day of most weeks
* ''The Daily'' (podcast), a podcast by ''The New York Times''
* ''The Daily'' (News Corporation), a defunct US-based iPad new ...
'' poll.
With the company's profits in decline in the early 2000s,
Fabio Massimo Cacciatori
Fabio Massimo Cacciatori (2 December 1961, Asti) is an entrepreneur and film producer.
Currently he is Managing Partner at A&G Management Consulting and Chairman of the software and computer systems development company E.magine.
Biography
Born ...
was hired as interim CEO to reorganise and restructure Versace Group in 2003.
Cacciatori resigned in December 2003 due to "disputes with the Versace family".
In 2004, Giancarlo di Risio from IT Holding became CEO, until he resigned in 2009 due to disagreements with Donatella. In May 2016, the Versace Group appointed Jonathan Akeroyd as CEO and board member.
In February 2014,
The Blackstone Group
Blackstone Inc. is an American alternative investment management company based in New York City. Blackstone's private equity business has been one of the largest investors in leveraged buyouts in the last three decades, while its real estate b ...
purchased a 20 percent stake in Versace for .
, more than 1500 boutiques operate worldwide; the first boutique outside of Italy opened in
Glasgow, Scotland, in 1991.
In September 2018, Michael Kors offered to buy Versace for two billion euros. Versace announced all Blackstone and Versace family shares were sold to Michael Kors Limited.
The acquisition was completed in December 2018, with
Donatella Versace
Donatella Francesca Versace (; born 2 May 1955) is an Italian fashion designer, businesswoman, socialite, and model. She is the sister of Gianni Versace, founder of the luxury fashion company Versace, with whom she worked closely on the develop ...
remaining head of creative design. In January 2019, Gianni Versace S.r.l. joined Capri Holdings Limited, forming a new global fashion luxury group alongside Michael Kors and
.
In 2018, Versace stopped using fur in its products and in 2020 announced it would stop using kangaroo leather. In October 2018, Versace announced its first Pre-Fall season show in New York, scheduled on Gianni Versace's December 2 birth date. In 2021, Versace opened its first
SoHo, New York
SoHo, sometimes written Soho (South of Houston Street), is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and has also been known for its vari ...
boutique.
Collaborations
* In 2006, Gianni Versace S.r.l. collaborated with
Lamborghini to produce the Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 Versace. The car included a Versace-designed white satin interior with Versace's logo embroidered into the seats. The car was available in black or white and came with a luggage set, driving shoes, and driving gloves. Only ten units were produced.
![Medusa ashtray Versace Rosenthal retouched](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Medusa_ashtray_Versace_Rosenthal_retouched.jpg)
* In 2008, Versace collaborated with
AgustaWestland
AgustaWestland was an Anglo-Italian helicopter design and manufacturing company, which was a wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica (now known as Leonardo). It was formed in July 2000 as an Anglo-Italian multinational company, when Finmeccani ...
to create the AgustaWestland AW109 Grand Versace VIP luxury helicopter, including a Versace leather interior and Versace-designed exterior.
* In 2009, Versace and
H&M released a new line for H&M's stores, including men's and women's clothing and home items, such as pillows and blankets.
* In 2015, Versace collaborated with dancer
Lil Buck
Charles "Lil Buck" Riley (born May 25, 1988) is an American dancer, actor and model from Memphis, Tennessee who specializes in a style of street dance called jookin. He gained popularity after director Spike Jonze used his cell phone to record ...
to release a line of sneakers.
* In 2015, Versace partnered with Mind Group. The companies designed luxury residential towers in China called the Versace Residencies. The goal of the creators was to combine Versace's luxury home elements with elements of traditional Chinese culture.
* Also in 2015, Versace partnered with the ABIL Group in India to develop another luxury residential project, located in South Mumbai.
* In 2015, Donatella Versace was featured in
Riccardo Tisci
Riccardo Tisci (; born 1974) is an Italian fashion designer. He studied in Italy at the Design Istituto d’Arte Applicata in Cantù until the age of 17, and then graduated from London's Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 1999. In ...
's
Givenchy
Givenchy (, ) is a French luxury fashion and perfume house. It hosts the brand of haute couture and ready-to-wear clothing, accessories, perfumes and cosmetics of Parfums Givenchy. The house of Givenchy was founded in 1952 by designer Hubert de ...
campaign.
* In 2018,
Ronnie Fieg
Ronnie Fieg is an American footwear and clothing designer, entrepreneur and the owner-operator of American retail fashion establishment and brand Kith.
Early life and education
Aaron 'Ronnie' Fieg was born and raised in Jamaica, Queens in New Yo ...
and Donatella Versace debuted their Kith x Versace collection, featuring a modified medusa logo with "KITH" written over its eyes.
* In 2019, Versace collaborated with
Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines ( Turkish: ''Türk Hava Yolları'') is the national flag carrier airline of Turkey. , it operates scheduled services to 340 destinations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, making it the largest mainline carrier in the w ...
to provide amenity kits to business class passengers on long-haul flights. The kits came in separately styled bags for men and women and featured the Versace Eros line of products for men and Versace Eros pour Femme products for women.
* Versace Men's Fall 2019 collection featured several items with the logo of
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...
. According to the fashion house, the two companies joined forces to channel "the excitement of buying your first car."
* In September 2021, Versace presented a joint fashion show with
Fendi
Fendi () is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house producing fur, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, fragrances, eyewear, timepieces and accessories. Founded in Rome in 1925, Fendi is known for its fur, fur accessories, and leather goods.
...
, titled "The Swap", consisting of two collections: Fendi's vision for Versace and Versace's vision for Fendi. This marked the first time two artistic directors of brands in different fashion groups designed collections for each other.
* In 2021, Versace collaborated with
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
to celebrate ''
Born This Way''
's tenth anniversary by creating a capsule collection with proceeds benefiting the
Born This Way Foundation.
Palazzo Versace
Soheil Abedian, of
Sunland Group, approached Versace in 1997 proposing a luxury hotel built for the Versace brand. The first
Palazzo Versace opened on Australia's
Gold Coast
Gold Coast may refer to:
Places Africa
* Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana:
** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642)
** Dutch G ...
on 15 September 2000. The hotel was sold to a Chinese consortium in December 2012. The second Palazzo, the
Palazzo Versace Dubai
Palazzo Versace Dubai is a hotel and resort completed in Culture Village on the foreshore of Dubai Creek in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Overview
Palazzo Versace Dubai is developed on and opened in November, 2015. It has 215 hotel rooms and sui ...
, was completed in December 2015 and is located on the foreshore of Dubai Creek. A third Palazzo, the Palazzo Versace
Macau
Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...
, is under construction as part of a partnership with Macau's largest casino operator
SJM Holdings SJM is an abbreviation of:
* Swadeshi Jagaran Manch
*Svalbard and Jan Mayen
* Servi Jesu et Mariae
* Samyukta Janamorcha Nepal
*Super Junior-M
in business:
*The NYSE symbol for The J.M. Smucker Co.
*''Sociedade de Jogos de Macau'', casino subsidia ...
. The Palazzo Versace hotels are the world's first fashion-branded hotels.
Controversy
In August 2019, Versace produced a range of tops suggesting
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
and
Macau
Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...
were separate countries. Versace apologized, saying it made a mistake in the design and would destroy the offending clothing. In response to the controversy,
Yang Mi
Yang Mi (, born 12 September 1986) is a Chinese actress and singer. She made her acting debut in historical television series '' Tang Ming Huang'', and later received recognition for her leading roles in various television series such as ''Wang Zha ...
ended her relationship as brand ambassador for Versace.
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Italian suit makers
Clothing brands of Italy
Eyewear brands of Italy
Companies based in Milan
Haute couture
High fashion brands
Jewellery retailers of Italy
Luxury brands
Shoe companies of Italy
Watch manufacturing companies of Italy
2018 mergers and acquisitions
Italian companies established in 1978
Altagamma members
az:Gianni Versace