Gianni Versace SRL - usually referred to simply as Versace, is an Italian luxury fashion

company and trade name founded by Gianni Versace in 1978. The main collection of the brand is
Versace, which produces upmarket luxury Italian-made ready-to-wear and leather accessories, while
other diffusion lines are Versace Collection (mainly in the US), Versus Versace and Versace Jeans.
The Versace logo is the head of Medusa, a Greek mythological figure. The logo came from the floor
of ruins in the area of Reggio Calabria that the Versace siblings played in as children. Gianni
Versace chose Medusa as the logo because she made people fall in love with her and they had no
way back. He hoped his company would have the same effect on people and on people who wore his
clothes and shoes.
The Versace brand is known for its innovative designs having symbolic flashy prints and
bright colors but with style. The company announced in 2018 that it would stop using fur in its
collections. On 25 September 2018, Michael Kors acquired all outstanding shares in Gianni Versace
SRL for $2.12 billion (USD); the acquisition was completed on December 31, 2018, keeping
on Donatella Versace as head of creative design.
In 1972, Gianni Versace designed his first collections for Callaghan, Genny, and Complice. In 1978,
the company launched under the name "Gianni Versace Donna." The first Versace boutique was
opened in Milan's Via della Spiga in 1978. Versace was one of the few independent designers who
was in control of everything about the brand, from designing to retailing. In 1982, the company
expanded into the accessory, jewelry, home furnishing, and china industries. In 1993, Donatella
Versace created the "Young Versace" line as well as "Versus." In 1994, the brand gained widespread
international coverage due to the black Versace dress of Elizabeth Hurley, referred to at the time as
"that dress".
Versace was often described as the "Rock n' Roll designer" because they designed for many
famous clients, including Elton John and Michael Jackson as well as the most beautiful women.
Versace designed the stage costumes and album cover costumes for Elton John in 1992. Versace has
also designed clothing for the Princess of Wales and Princess Caroline of Monaco. The Versace
company is known for using the same models in their ads as they do on the runway.
After the murder of Gianni Versace in 1997, his sister Donatella Versace, formerly vice-president,
took over as creative director 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 at the 42nd Annual Grammy
Awards gained a lot of media attention, being voted as the "fifth most iconic dress of all time" in
2008, with Hurley's 1994 dress being voted first in a Daily Telegraph poll.
The company's profits were in decline in the early 2000s; Fabio Massimo Cacciatori was hired as
interim CEO to reorganise and restructure the Versace Group in 2003. Cacciatori resigned in
December 2003 due to "disputes with the Versace family". From 2004 Giancarlo di Risio, from IT
Holding, was CEO of the group until his resignation in 2009 due to disagreements with Donatella. [
In May 2016, the Versace Group appointed Mr. Jonathan Akeroyd to the position of CEO and
member of the company's Board of Directors.
In February 2014 The Blackstone Group purchased a 20 percent stake in Versace for €210
million.
As of 2016, more than 1500 boutiques operate worldwide; the first boutique outside of Italy
was opened in Glasgow, Scotland in 1991.
On 24 September 2018 Michael Kors announced that it offered a deal to buy Versace for 2
billion euros. In September 2018 Versace announced that one hundred percent of all Blackstone and
Versace family shares had been sold to the Group Michael Kors Limited.
In October 2018, Versace announced to showcase the brand's first ever Pre-Fall season show in New
York on 2 December. The show is scheduled on Gianni Versace's birth date.
In January 2019, Gianni Versace SRL joined Capri Holdings Limited, forming a new global
fashion luxury group together with Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo.

7 facts you didn’t know about Versace

1. Donatella is the biggest muse for Gianni Versace
Gianni and Donatella Versace were extremely close as brother and sister. They supported
and listened to each other’s advice. For example, when she was 11 years old, Donatella dyed her
hair blond, because her brother convinced her that this color would suit her really well. Years later,
inspired by this, he created the perfume Blonde. When he started his brand, Donatella helped him
with the PR and often advised him about the vision of the models. In 1989 Gianni Versace created
the Versus line, that he gifted to his sister as gratitude and support for her talent.
 2. Gianni Versace’s trademark is the golden dress “Oroton”

The emblematic and memorable metallic golden gown was actually created in the distant
1982. Its metallic fabric that reminiscent of a very fine net, bares the patented name “Oroton”. It can
be found in many designs and variations ever since it was created and up to this day. In September
2017, during Milan Fashion Week, for the 20th anniversary of Gianni Versace’s death, his sister
Donatella gathered some of the `90s supermodels he used to work with while he was alive (Cindy
Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen, Claudia Schiffer and Carla Bruni) and dressed
them all in variations of the golden dress.
 3. Thanks to Versace, Google develops the search by image / Google image search

That`s right! Back in 2000 Donatella Versace sent Jennifer Lopez a dress for her appearance at
the Grammy Awards. In fact, this dress was sent by mistake because it was cut with a too low
neckline, but Jennifer decided to wear it anyway. The dress instantly received such significant
global media coverage that Google registered that user behavior as a sign that they can introduce
“Google image” as an option when people search for something visually and thus find the desired
pictures.

4. The first fashion house that creates a hotel in its name

In the 1980s Gianni and Donatella Versace decided to furnish their newly purchased Miami
home with furniture in their style and brand. This is not only their first experience in interior design,
but also the beginning of a much larger project, called “Palazzo Versace”. The hotels created under
this name are now two and are located in Australia and Dubai. As you can guess for yourselves, the
furniture and all decorations are designed by Versace and demonstrate luxury and abundance.
 5. Versace is the first brand to co-operate with supermodels, musicians and stars

It won`t be exaggerated to say that Versace is the brand that created supermodels, paying
them enormous amounts of money for each fashion show. It is a popular fact that Gianni Versace
was a close friend with many celebrities and royalties, including Princess Diana, Elton John, Cher,
Michael Jackson and Madonna. In fact, he worked with many of them. With some he created
advertisement campaigns, and collaborated with others on creating a special music performance
during his fashion shows. All of them were always invited to the first rows during his runway
shows. What better advertisement for a brand than having the famous people as fans?

6. Versace fashion house was bequeathed with 50% of its capital to Donatella Versace’s
daughter

Contrary to popular expectations that Donatella will remain Chief designer and owner of
Versace, after his death Gianni bequeathed 50% of the company to his niece. At that time, she was
only 11 years old, so her mother continued to lead and create for the brand, but now she is already
on the Board of directors and is actively involved in Versace`s management.
 7. Donatella Versace has never sewed in her life

Correct, no matter how surprising it may be for a person that runs a world-wide fashion
empire, Donatella Versace cannot sew and has never made a garment on her own. This is what
distinguishes her from her brother Gianni, who has been in love with making clothes with his own
hands ever since he was a teenager, and that is the reason he started to learn the craft with his mother
in his early childhood. Apparently, this was not Donatella’s passion, but has not prevented her from
running Versace with enthusiasm and progress for 21 years now.