Versace to dress Spice Girls

Donatella Versace is expected to dress the Spice Girls for their reunion tour later this year.

The Italian designer is a big fan of the group and gave the singers ideas for their stage dresses when she heard about the comeback tour.

"Donatella was a big fan of the girls back in the day and as soon as she heard that a reunion was on the cards she submitted her ideas,” Female First quoted a source, as telling Daily Mirror.

"There will be several different looks for each of them and the clothes will be worth over 200,000 pounds," the source said.

The designer is working to give the 30-something singers an individual look, which will be different from their previous personas.

"She wants the girls to retain their band personas but in a much less obvious way than before. Mel C won't be wearing ill-fitting sportswear instead she'll have a really sexy wardrobe. Emma will wear stunning, elegant dresses with a playful touch," the source said.

2 August 2007

Milan honours Versace

A decade after his death, Gianni Versace is getting a street named after him in Milan. Milan 's Mayor Letizia Brichetto-Arnaboldi Moratti and the Teatro della Scala will stage a series of special events next month to pay tribute to Versace on the 10th anniversary of his death, including a ballet with costumes designed by Donatella Versace.

Versace's work for the theatre, one of his greatest passions, will also be honoured by the city of Milan with a display 64 artistic installations of his most celebrated theatre designs on large panels distributed throughout the city in strategic locations. This open-air exhibition will be run from June 22nd for approximately a month, allowing the city and its citizens to participate in the tribute and celebration of the legendary designer.

Versace was murdered by disturbed fan Andrew Cunanan outside his home in Miami, Casa Casuarina on July 15, 1997.

www.versace.com
22 June 2007

Versus' high-tech comeback

Versace's Versus brand is returning to the fray with a new format. Bringing the label back to the forefront is Versace executive Dante D'Angelo. “We want to create a new market niche called technological luxury,” he told WWD. “We are not planning to do apparel. Instead, we want to exploit the accessories business. This is a category that lends itself best to technological development.” Versus laucnhed a mobile phone/MP3 player together with Samsung last year. Now, it plans to introduce leather accessories, fragrance, costume jewellery and eyewear, all with a technological edge. A showroom will be opened next year and Versus sales are estimated to reach €35 million by this year.

The Versus watch collection will debut at the Basel World Show in April. All product categories are produced through licensing agreements. Timepieces are produced by Vertime. The eyewear line, which will debut in Paris in March, is manufactured by luxury eyewear manufacturer Luxottica. The 40-piece handag and footwear collection, produced by Works in Florence, will have a test run this spring, with the full technologically advanced collection airing this fall. Next year sees the launch of a new fragrance, with partner Euroitalia.

www.versus.it
23 February 2007

Prince performs at Versace

Versace has never been known as a demure fashion house, and true to its rock & roll spirit, it had Prince perform a private concert after it unveiled its spring summer catwalk collection on Friday. Donatella Versace, the house's creative director, invited the who's who of Milan and the fashion world, to her new post in Piazza Vetra and had Prince, who also wrote an original track for the catwalk show, give an hour-long concert to the excited crowd. English became a common language with the lyrics to all his songs.  Italians, French, Swedish and Americans all alike were singing along to his classic tracks.

With a total of three changes, Prince sported Versace like no one else could. His smooth dance moves and velvet voice made each of his different white ensembles a lot more than just appealing; the clothes became ‘simply to die for.' Though ‘Purple Rain' was not supposed to be the last song in the concert, the crowd clamored for an encore for 10 minutes. Prince came out wearing a white jacket and cowboy hat, and sang the legendary ‘Purple Rain' the anthem of 1980s youth. Surprisingly, Donatella did not make an appearance, but Prince thanked her several times.

www.versace.com
2 October 2006

Versace return to profibility

Gianni Versace SpA swung back into profitability in the first half of the year, meeting its original break-even target a year and a half early. Pretax profits for the six months ended June 30 totaled 2 million euros, or $2.5 million, compared with a year-earlier loss of 7 million euros, or $9 million. Sales were essentially flat, dipping less than a percentage point to 148 million euros, or $182 million. Dollar figures are converted from the euro at average exchange rates for the period to which they refer.

Versace is starting to see the benefits of last year's restructuring efforts, Chief Executive Giancarlo Di Risio said. "Profits are starting to come into Versace's coffers," he said. "And all of this was done without a single extraordinary operation. This is from the management of the company." Looking to the full year, Di Risio said the company is on track to post a pretax profit, but that it's too soon to forecast whether Versace will do so on a net level. The company is expecting full-year sales to be "above" the 270 million euro, or $332.1 million, mark. That level would represent a 12 percent drop on 2005 figures.

Di Risio said revenues will continue to suffer this year as the company refurbishes its boutiques, including those in Los Angeles, Miami, Brussels and Florence, to its new black-and-white retail concept. The entire retail network should be updated by March of next year, he said. Versace's decision to discontinue a number of lower-priced diffusion lines and products also will bite into 2006 accounts.

The executive said Versace's revenues will resume growth next year. Stressing the importance of the new retail concept, Di Risio said sales in the new Fifth Avenue flagship are up 28 percent since the start of the year. "It's not the quantity of the things we do, but rather the quality," Di Risio said. "We have chosen a path, which may also turn out to be the more challenging one, to be a luxury brand."

Di Risio said he's more interested in preserving the exclusivity of the Versace brand through ready-to-wear, accessories and select licensing deals for ultra-luxe products such as seven-star resorts and jet interiors. Versace has been pushing for exclusivity in accessories as well, offering limited-edition quilted leather bags and other big-ticket items. Accessories account for 30 percent of sales and the company bragged that it reached that target a year ahead of schedule.

The company, which managed to eliminate its debt last year, improved its net financial position in the first half of this year. As of June 30, it was positive for 16 million euros, or $19.7 million, compared with 2 million euros, or $2.6 million, at the end of last year.

As reported, Versace hasn't ruled out the possibility of a listing on the stock market, but Di Risio again stated the decision rests with the company's shareholders, Allegra Beck, Donatella Versace and Santo Versace. He said he doesn't expect a move on that front until 2008 at the earliest. Salvatore Ferragamo announced last month that it's preparing for stock market listing, a development that would end a years-long dry spell for fashion initial public offerings in Europe. "It's a choice that depends on the shareholders," Di Risio said.

11 September 2006

Jonathan Rhys Meyers models Versace

Italian fashion house Versace has hired some Irish charm for its latest campaign. Chisel-featured actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers will front the ads for the autumn/winter menswear range, joining the list of high-profile celebrities including Madonna and Halle Berry in modelling for the designer label. The handsome Dublin-born star looks ultra sharp in the ads, shot by legendary fashion photographer Mario Testino. His female fans will be eagerly awaiting the images which show the 29-year-old Match Point star posing in black leather trousers and dark shades as well as a classic black suit.

Jonathan joins a slew of professionals in Versace's latest campaign, including the much in-demand Kate Moss and her fellow supermodels Carolyn Murphy and Christy Turlington. "People are looking at the supermodels again today - how they dress, where they socialise, how they live," says Donatella. "They are glamorous and lead glamorous lives."

Covergirl Kate has put recent troubles behind her to front campaigns for Burberry and Longchamp among a host of other top brands, reportedly tripling her income to 11 million pounds this year already. Designer Donatella Versace believes the power of the supermodel is stronger than ever and hired famed photographer Mario Testino to capture a host of well-known beauties for the new ads.

17 August 2006

Versus makes comeback with accessories

Versus is making a comeback as an accessories brand. The label, which has been out of play for the past two years, will return in August as a men's and women's accessories brand with the launch of a co-branded portable phone-MP3 player with Samsung. “While relying on Versus' brand awareness, which is still very strong, we're starting on a blank sheet…clothing is not a priority for us now,” Giancarlo Di Risio, chief executive of Versace Group, told WWD. “This is an atypical project, which we are kicking off in an innovative way.” In September, a watch collection, produced by Vertime, will be launched and in October an eyewear collection licensed to Luxottica will be introduced. There will also be a handbag and footwear line produced by Italian company Works. These will also launch this fall. Halfway through next year a fragrance will debut. “In accordance with the sense of the name and the origins of the brand, Versus will go against the rules,” said Di Risio, who was chief executive of Ittierre, the company that originally produced Versus under license. According to WWD, Di Risio was considered responsible for the company's success and was regarded as a pioneer in launching designer jeans wear collections in the late Eighties and Nineties. Di Risio was the one who approached Versace with the idea for Versus. However, when he joined Versace two years ago, he removed Versus from the market in an effort to stem the fashion house's debt.

“Versus was always about innovation and research, always ahead, aiming at what customers wanted,” Di Risio said. The new Versus is once again aimed at consumers who are “young in spirit”. The focus is on technology, “which rules our lives…These are items that are fun to buy and gratifying.” He added that the brand will be owned by the Versace Group, but will be independent with its “own development”. There will be a showroom for the line in Milan and it will be positioned in the high-end market range, with sales by 2007 estimated at €35 million. In 2008 the company will roll out Versus boutiques.

www.versace.com
20 July 2006

Versace contemplates earlier IPO

Luxury fashion house Gianni Versace SpA is reducing its losses and is therefore contemplating taking the company public.
The Italian company reported a dramatic recovery from its loss of €92.4 million in 2004 to a loss of €5.5 million last year. Last September the company has forecast a loss of €15 million for the year.

Thanks to the sale of family assets, including its Manhattan town house, the company was able to report a pre-tax profit of €37.2 million. However, this fact was downplayed. “We’re sticking to our goal to turn a (operating) profit in 2007, but we don’t exclude the possibility that it will happen even earlier in 2006,” chief executive Giancarlo DiRisio told WWD. He added that the company would be ready for an initial public offering next year, although the decision obviously lies with the shareholders and the family. Currently, Donatella’s daughter controls 50 percent of the company, uncle Santo holds 30 percent and the remaining 20 percent are held by Donatella herself.

Sales for the year dropped 4.4 percent to €307 million, a slight improvement on earlier projections. According to DiRisio, the discontinuation of some product lines, like the diffusion collection Versace Classic, swimwear, innerwear and children’s apparel, affected revenues, but were partially compensated by retail and wholesales sales. Of the diffusion line Versus, he said it would become an “independent brand” from the luxury Versace label.
Retail sales in the US rose 28 percent in the first four months of this year, thanks partially to the reorganization of its US subsidiary and the refurbishment of the New York flagship. The company is now working on the renovation of its Los Angeles store.

DiRisio noted that the focus on its signature collection and luxury items was proving a success for Versace. He pointed out that accessories sales growth more than quadrupled last year and now accounts for 19 percent of revenues or about €58.1 million. Furthermore, accessories should account for 30 percent of revenues this year, he said. With demand on the increase, the company is considering enhancing it production capacity in Burago, a suburb of Milan where the likes of Chanel and Hermes also manufacture their handbags.

www.versace.com
4 May 2006

Holiday bling

If staying in opulent surroundings whilst on holiday seems fashionable to you, the Versace Gold Coast hotel would be considered the ultimate in trend-setting luxury. So exactly what is a Versace hotel? A temple to all things gaudy, glitzy,glamorous - in effect, all things Versace.

The Palazzo Versace is the only resort in the world owned by the iconic fashion house and prides itself on being the absolute pinnacle of hotel luxury on Australia 's glamorous Gold Coast. The £128 million hotel was opened in September 2000 to coincide with the Sydney Olympic Games. Since then, it has become the favourite Australian hangout of the rich and famous, and those who like to mingle with the rich and famous.

The Versace family has never shied away from a little self-promotion, and its in-house marketing literally means you are surrounded by Versace imago wherever you may find yourself on its opulent grounds. And should you find yourself bored in your suite watching telly, Donatella has devoted an entire channel to herself on the in-house programming, in case you forgot who is the (St Tropez-tanned) face of the house.

And just in case you temporarily forget which hotel you're staying in, the unmistakable Versace Medusa-head logo is everywhere - on the towels, the cutlery, the furniture, even the bathroom taps. And if Australia seems a tad too far to travel. There's always the soon to open Versace hotel in Dubai…

Versace focuses on the US

Versace is shifting its attention to the growth of its US business, according to a report by WWD. The Milan-based luxury goods company will be directing sales, distribution, marketing and communication of its ready-to-wear and accessories from its headquarters on New York's Fifth Avenue. Previously, the company managed most of its business from Milan.

The company's chief executive, Giancarlo Di Risio, has branded the US as a key market for growth. Di Risio, who joined the company in 2004, has made the strategic shift to boost the US business, which was said to have been underperforming in recent years. Furthermore, the US arm of the company is also taking over the sales and distribution of Versace Jeans Couture from its licensee, IT Holding unit Ittiere.

www.versace.com
7 December 2005

Versace to focus on accessories

Italian fashion house Versace is to focus on its bags and accessories after growing demand and a sales increase of 50 percent. Donatella Versace, in an interview with WWD, stated: "Accessories today have to be anything but ordinary and banal." Versace is focused on growing the company's accessories division as sales are expected to leap from a mere 4 percent share of the company's revenues last year to 30 percent of revenues within the next three years.

"Versace has a history in accessories, but we've now refined both the technicalities and the design," said Giancarlo Di Risio, Versace's chief executive officer, to WWD. "We've approached the category with an accessories mentality rather than as an apparel company doing accessories."

Proving the brand's commitment is a new factory that Versace just acquired in Burago, a small suburb outside of Milan known for impeccable quality in bag making. Chanel and Hermès also produce there. "My favorite version is the denim with crocodile trim because I love the idea of luxurious materials mixed with poor ones," said Versace.

The brand's accessories now cover the regular ready-to-wear handbag collection and seasonal evolutions of the Biker bag, the year-old Monogram line and the Snap-Out-of-It style with its detachable charms. Some of the styles are limited editions with a production of 2,000 pieces and are labeled: "Made in Italy Gianni Versace Couture Via Gesù 12 Milano." Excluding department stores, the accessories collections will be available in 220 sales points worldwide, plus the brand's own stores.

Donatella Versace in Breast Cancer campaign

Donatella Versace has lent her high profile status to support the Breast Health Institute in a new ad campaign. Shelley Schwartz, founder of the Breast Health Institute sad: "Grazie to Donatella Versace for her support and for her involvement. The fact that she lent her face to the campaign will make reaching our goals easier."

"I feel honored to support this cause because I feel it's important to remove that veil of ignorance and fear that still surrounds this illness," said Versace.
She added that she tapped her friend Mario Testino to shoot the black-and-white campaign in a London studio because she felt his images would give the cause more weight.

The campaign will appear in leading publications in Italy, the U.K. and Germany because the institute wants to raise awareness on the issue in those countries. The fact that it runs from December to July makes it the most extended campaign to date.

To celebrate the launch of the campaign, the Versace company will host charity events starting in its London store on Dec. 13, followed by Rome two days later. A percentage of the proceeds from sales will go to the Breast Health Institute, which held its fifth International Consensus Conference in Milan in April to develop guidelines to review what has been learned about breast health in the past 25 years.

Halle Berry new Versace model

The New York Post is reporting that Halle Berry will be the new face of Versace. According to the paper, the actress participated in a photo shoot last weekend in Los Angeles with fashion photographer Mario Testino for the upcoming print campaign." The shoot was beautiful portraits, slightly messy hair and a wind machine — very glamorous," said a source.

Berry follows Madonna and Demi Moore as Donatella Versace's latest celebrity centerpiece.

Madonna's gold handbag Green with envy

Madonna's gold Versace handbag could be waiting under the tree for retail billionaire Philip Green's wife, Tina Green, this Christmas. Mr Green is very interested in the handbag signed by the Material Girl which failed to fetch its £5,500 reserve at a charity auction on Monday.

PR agency Identity One, which staged the Halloween bash at Tiger Tiger for the Sir Alan Sugar challenge to raise funds for the Hackney Empire, is now going to auction the bag pr ivately.

4 November 2005

Britney's will be a Versace baby

Celebrity dresses Donatella Versace has reportedly thrilled pregnant pop star Britney Spears by offering to create her unborn baby an entire designer wardrobe for free. Spears, who is due to give birth later this month, is said to be determined her first child will be the most stylish tot in Hollywood and credits pal Madonna with persuading Versace to help out.

A source tells British newspaper The Sun: "Britney was over the moon when Donatella offered to make all of the kid's clothes. "They have met a few times and mingle in the same circles but Britney never expected such a generous offer. "Britney and Donatella have a mutual friend in Madonna and Britney was very impressed at how Madonna's daughter, Lourdes, dresses.

11 September 2005

Versace mansion now hotel

Casa Casuarina, the 1930s art deco mansion and former home of Gianni Versace is one of the most famous spots on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach . Now you can get inside, and even sleep there, for a price. The opulent Casa is the latest inductee to the discerning Leading Hotels of the World group. So as of last week, any big spender can stay the night. Nightly rates for the 10 lavish suites - which were scheduled to open to guests last week - range from $1,200 to $4,000.

Members, of course, will get special rates, and can be host to private parties. For information, call (305) 672-6604 or see www.casacasuarina.com.

30 August 2005

Donatella to open London Versace boutique

Donatella Versace, the Italian house' creative director and designer, is to come to London during the city's fashion week in September to open her newly refurbished boutique at 183 Sloane Street . Versace plans to host a cocktail party on Sept. 19, followed by a dinner for friends and press, a spokesman for the designer said.

Donatella plans to stay in the capital for a few days and it is assumed she will attend some of the runway shows, this year held in South Kensington .

12 August 2005

Versace to open 12 stores in China

Italian fashion house Versace will be opening 12 new stores in China during this summer and fall. The expansion is part of the house's strategy to enter China's booming luxury market. Versace will also redesign its boutiques in Hong Kong, on the island of Macao and on the mainland within the next few months.

Of the collective new and renovated stores, seven will be Versace boutiques while the remaining five wll be Versace Jeans Couture (JC) stores. A study by Bocconi University in Milan recently showed that Versace is the most recognized label in mainland China.

Versace will be opening its JC stores in mainland China with local partners, including the Yaohan Department store in Wuxi and the Deji Plaza in Nanjing, which will offer the complete collections of Versace JC and Versace Sport.

www.versace.com
20 July 2005

Demi Moore in new Versace ads

Actress Demi Moore is to appear in the print ads for Versace this fall.
Top fashion photographer Mario Testino has reportedly already shot the six images for the upcoming ad campaign in the same studio where he was shooting pop diva Madonna as the face of the brand this spring.

"I have known Demi Moore for many years and never has she been as beautiful as she is now," said Donatella Versace according to Women's Wear Daily. "Her presence is magnetic because it is entirely natural and never forced. Her personality comes shining through."

Moore is gracing the forthcoming ad with spaghetti-straight hair parted in the middle and a glowing complexion. She exudes class and dash in low-rise jeans with a black chiffon blouse, a snug mustard coat and a body-clinging ivory jersey dress. Canadian model Gabriel Aubry was already shot by Testino as Moore's partner at the new ad campaign

www.versace.com
24 June 2005

A New Mood At Versace

There's no arguing that Versace has had a tough start to the decade. The struggling fashion house, since the death of its founder, has seen financial turmoil, familial clashes and an epic cocaine habit by Donatella Versace, the successor to the design throne. Collections of the past few seasons were out of sync with the fashion zeitgeist - and even loyal customers were determined to cut the cord with the over-the-top bling associations of the past.

But nobody can find fault with the family for their lack of perseverance. When the sales dried up the house opted for selling Gianni's vast contemporary art collection and other assets, paying off debts and cutting back on the lavish lifestyle of which family members made no qualms about hiding their extravagant ways from the media. Nowadays, under-performing stores have been closed to make room for a re-design of its flagship outlets, where a zen-like environment has replaced the previous glitterball-3am surroundings of yesteryear.

According to Donatella, the changes taking place at Versace are to bring the brand back to its core values: sexy and sophisticated, but also tailored, well-cut and less rock 'n roll. The new collection, hailed by critics as the best in recent years, consists of 90 per cent daywear, as opposed to the slashed-and-trashed red carpet numbers that made Versace a byword for late-Eighties decadence.

These days, Donatella is more inspired and prodigious than every: her hunger to design is stronger than before - and she is up to the challenge of creating a collection that is contemporary and universal, and that connects with the Versace customer each season.

Look out for a new Versace silhouette; a nipped-in waist and a wider lapel. Pair a voluminous sweater with a pencil skirt, and you're getting the look. The newly refurbished boutique on Sloane Street will re-open this July.

www.versace.com
20 June 2005

Drive a flash car by Versace

A Mini Cooper decorated the Versace way - with a baroque leaf and blossom pattern - is set to be sold on Internet auction site eBay on the 20th of June. Bidding for the Limited Edition Mini will start at one Euro.

The auction will run for ten days and all proceeds from the sale of the car will go towards the fight against HIV/AIDS. The car is being showcased by designer Donatella Versace. The interior features black leather seats with a gold trim.

www.versace.com
15 June 2005

Versace Reports Losses

Versace widened its losses in 2004 to 95 million euros as sales slid 20.6 percent to 320 million euros.Versace's board approved the company's balance sheet last week but declined further comment on the numbers.

Last week, Versace chief executive officer Giancarlo Di Risio told WWD that 2004 losses would be greater than the 26.5 million euros, or $30 million, seen in 2003. He said 2004 marked a turning point for the company as it restructures and works toward a goal of breaking even in 2007.

"This is an historic transformation from a family-run company to a manager-run company. We are abiding by the same principles as a publicly listed company," he said. Di Risio emphasized Versace is making progress, correcting problems of late deliveries, producing more focused and commercially viable collections and chipping away at its debts by selling off assets like the watch and beauty businesses, which it subsequently licensed.

Di Risio acknowledged that a more sophisticated and "exploitable" product range fueled a 53 percent increase in fall-winter 2005 wholesale sales. He outlined a plan to grow sales in underexploited areas such as accessories and the U.S. market and generate more royalty income from licensed products like watches, beauty products and hotels.

www.versace.com
www.wwd.com
1 June 2005

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