Versace

Versace
Type Private
Industry Consumer Goods
Founded 1978
Headquarters Italy Milan, Italy
Key people Gianni Versace, Founder
Santo Versace, Chairman & Co-CEO
Gian Giacomo Ferraris, Director & Co-CEO
Donatella Versace, Artistic Director
Products Textile - Apparel clothing [1]
Revenue decrease € 273 million (2009) [2]
Net income decrease € -30 million (2009) [3]
Website www.versace.com

Gianni Versace S.p.A. (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdʒɑnːi verˈsaːtʃe]), usually referred to as Versace, is an Italian fashion label founded by Gianni Versace in 1978.

The first Versace boutique was opened in Milan's Via della Spiga in 1978, (though the Versace family are from Reggio Calabria) and its popularity was immediate. Today, Versace is one of the world's leading international fashion houses. Versace designs, markets and distributes luxury clothing, accessories, fragrances, makeup and home furnishings under the various brands of the Versace Group.

Gianni Versace was killed by Andrew Cunanan on July 15, 1997. His sister Donatella Versace, formerly vice-president, then stepped in as creative director of Versace and his older brother Santo Versace became CEO. Donatella's daughter Allegra Versace also owns 50 percent of the company since 2004 as wished by Gianni in his last will. Allegra also has the last say of the sale and other important details in the Versace clothing line.[1]

Versace's Style Department employs a group of designers and stylists who work in teams. Each team is specifically dedicated to each fashion line or label. These teams operate under the close supervision and guidance of Donatella Versace.

Contents

Versace lines

There are several lines which make up Versace. They are: Gianni Versace Couture, Versace Jeans Couture, Versace Home Collection, Versus and Versace Collection. In addition to clothing and accessories, it also operates a hotel, the Palazzo Versace.

Gianni Versace Couture, which contains high-end, often handmade apparel, jewelry, watches, fragrances, cosmetics and home furnishings, is the House's main line. Traditionally, this is the only line presented on the runway which is shown during Milan's fashion week, but this has not been strictly the case in recent years. Couture dresses in this line may cost about $10,000 and suits cost approximately $5,000. Donatella Versace directly heads this line and designs a vast amount of the items. This label has been renamed simply Versace due to Gianni Versace's death, the other Versace label named Versace Collection is the second high-end line of the group and is designed toward younger more fashioned people, the logo is discreet and consist in a hollowed V surrounded by the classic Greek frieze or is signed in all word with the word "collection" written smaller in black at the bottom line of the name Versace in Hollowed letters or in white. The Versace Sport line has been stopped in 2008 due to large counterfacting of this line, damaging the Versace group image.

Versace Jeans Couture, a casual clothing line, focuses on informal clothing and high-end denim and classic Gianni Versace print shirts. It is readily available and comparably affordable. This line is distributed through 56 boutiques and flagship stores, and 1800 multi-brand points of sale, including Internet-based shops. Versace Sport comprised of active wear and accessories. The name was often printed on t-shirts.

Versace eyeglasses

Versace eyeglasses are part of the Versace collection and manufactured under license by the luxottica group.[2] They are as famous as all Versace lines and they are quite different in comparison with the eyeglasses offered by the competing designers. They come in various forms and designs but they tend to have frames with softer angles. Versace eyeglasses add to the wearer's personality and image with their simplicity and elegance. They are the preferred accessory for a wide variety of people, with different personalities and face shapes. Moreover, the Versace frames are smaller and rounded than other designer frames which increases their potential on the market.

Versace eyewear distinguishes itself from the other designer eyeglasses by having almost unnoticeable frames made of metal or a composite material, looking like plastic but of much better quality. These eyeglasses come in simple designs and in more daring designs. Most of the Versace eyeglasses have thin frames made of metal and with a solid color. The eyewear collection also includes eyeglasses with colored frames, thicker but still not too big. Large frames eyeglasses are not very common in Versace collections.

Versace eyeglasses are well known for their stylish and elegant look, which makes them one of the most sought after name in the luxury eyewear world. These eyeglasses come in different designs, for different personalities and occasions. There are simplistic but fashionable models along with models that feature powerful colors. The differences in designs in Versace eyewear collections make them available for a wider market.

Versace eyeglasses impress by their very high quality as well. The frames are made of titanium, one of the best materials used in eyewear frames. Eyeglasses manufactured by this designer are sturdy and lightweight at the same time which adds more comfort for the wearer.

This stylish line features wraparound frames, round styles, and square and rectangular options, as well. These stylish specs feature bold colors such as, aquatic blues and greens, warm yellows and pinks, and sharp turquoise to add flair and personality to the wearer's image.[3] Versace models feature classic and traditional colors such as versatile brown or sleek black but there are also models that come with frames featuring stylish prints.

Additionally to their aesthetics and their ability to improve one's image, Versace eyeglasses are also comfortable, and provide complete protection against UV. Some of the models have a shatter-resistant plastic feature incorporated which is especially designed to protect the wearer in case the glasses are broken.

Not least, Versace eyeglasses make a difference with their stylish and elegant look, which makes them a great accessory for people who are willing to improve their image. However, the only disadvantage of these glasses is their price. Versace eyeglasses, as well as many other designer eyeglasses are quite expensive which makes them exclusivist. They are intended for a certain category of people and for a rather small market. Yet, their quality and all the features they come with make them a good investment on the long term. Designer eyeglasses are usually more expensive because they are indeed of the best quality and also because of their popularity. People who afford wearing designer eyeglasses put a lot of price on their image.

Versace eyeglasses can be purchased on the Internet or from the designer shops. The Internet though is a tricky place to buy original Versace eyeglasses since there are many websites that sell counterfeit products. Original Versace frames feature the Versace trademark which is either on the outer side of the frame or on the inner side.[4] The price may also be an indicator for original Versace eyeglasses. These eyeglasses tend to be quite expensive and although many websites offer them with great discounts, there is a chance that they are counterfeit. Buyers should be aware that too large discounts could be a sign of a fake product since Versace eyeglasses are never out of fashion so a great discount would not be justified.

Versace going public

In May 2006, it was reported in WWD that Versace chief executive Giancarlo Di Risio said Versace Group would consider a IPO (initial public offering) on the stock market by next year, ahead of a proposed schedule. This was due to a drop in operating losses from £62m to £4m for 2005, based on sales for the House during the prior 12 months.

Faces of Versace & celebrity culture

Versace has many fans among well-known celebrities. Elton John has long been a wearer of Versace, often featuring custom items covered in diamonds or Swarovski crystal. Other notables fans of the Versace fashion house are Elizabeth Hurley, Axl Rose, Beyoncé and the late Princess Diana, who was offered, but declined, £1,000,000 to appear on the catwalk in Versace to celebrate her divorce from Prince Charles. Jennifer Lopez is known to wear Versace in many of her red carpet fashions. Many of the dresses that Lopez has worn have brought much publicity to the fashion house. Lopez wore the Jungle-Dress at the 2000 Grammys, which became famous for its plunging neckline.

Versace is unique among Italian fashion houses due to its frequent use of a celebrity "face" for the House in advertisements. The contract provides for the use of the celebrity's image, and in return, the celebrity is paid both monetarily and with free Versace clothing. Madonna, for example, was paid $10.5m and given free Versace clothes for 2 years for her contribution to Versace advertising campaign in 2005.

Some of the celebrities that have been the face "for Versace" are Madonna (1995 and 2005), Ashton Kutcher (known from Punk'd), Ian Somerhalder (known from LOST), Kevin Richardson (former member of The Backstreet Boys), Demi Moore, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera. During the summer of 2003, The Corrs--who were then recording and promoting their fourth studio album—signed a contract to become the face of Versace for 5 years, Milla Jovovich for ad campaigns and Halle Berry was the face of Versace for Spring/Summer 2006.

Versace used the models Carolyn Murphy, Angela Lindvall, Daria Werbowy, Miriam Escott IV, Christy Turlington, Gisele Bündchen and Kate Moss to front the Fall/Winter 2006/7 campaign, and used actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the face for the men's campaign. The 2008 Spring/Summer campaign featured Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey as the face of its men's line and Gisele Bündchen for the women's line. The line has also used models like Isabeli Fontana, Maryna Linchuk, Natalia Vodianova, Karlie Kloss,and Catherine McNeil.

Versace Boutiques

The Versace boutique in Milan, Italy
Fifth Avenue, New York City

There are currently 81 boutiques in the world:

North America

Boutiques were previously operated in Montreal, San Francisco, Boston, Orlando, Chicago, Chevy Chase, Philadelphia, and Maui, among others, but have since been closed. Versace also features 123 retail areas in a variety of luxury multi-designer department stores such as Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdales, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

South America

Europe

Middle East

Asia

Australia

Versace headquarters is in Milan. There is a Versace Hotel and Spa called the Palazzo Versace. They are in Gold Coast, Australia and Dubai which will open in 2010.

Versace Precious Items

Gianni Versace and Frank Muller launched the first Versace watch collection line in 1994. The name of the first collection was Atelier and it became a must among fashionistas and Versace brand lovers.

Since then, the collection of Versace timepieces has evolved and the range of products of the Medusa fashion brand has greatly been expanded.

Versace watches line is produced under license agreement in Switzerland. Timex Group bought the license in 2005 but the Versace watch line is still produced and operated from Switzerland by Vertime SA.

Since the discontinuation of the Atelier collection a new line from the Italian fashion house, Versace Precious Items evolved. The collection includes watches, fine jewelry, and writing instruments.

Lamborghini Murcielago Versace had agreed to make the first ever designer car in the world in the make of a white Lamborghini Murcielago all white exterior and interior with all black rims.

In 1984, the Ford Motor Company offered the Versace edition Lincoln Mark VII. It continued into 1985 but was discontinued after that.

In 2010 Versace unveiled the first Versace mobile phone, the Versace unique, also the first ever 'luxury' multi-media, sapphire-crystal touch screen mobile phone. It comes in a variety of colours, from grey mink to hot pink, lilac to pop red, and costs from $5,600 to $16,000, depending on the trims, available in stainless steel or solid gold. The interior software was done by Modelabs and LG. It is hand-assembled in France, and available only in select Versace boutiques.

References

  1. ↑ Allegra inherits Versace's fortune - contactmusic.com
  2. ↑ "Luxottica licence Brands". http://luxottica.com/en/brands/license_brands/. Retrieved 2010-08-21. 
  3. ↑ "Versace Eyeglasses Frames". http://www.versaceeyeglasses.org/. Retrieved 2010-06-09. 
  4. ↑ "Versace". http://www.versace.com/. Retrieved 2010-06-09. 

External links