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Versace History: Gianni’s Fashion House and Prada Ownership

Trace Versace from Gianni Versace’s 1978 founding in Milan to Donatella’s creative legacy and Prada Group’s completed acquisition in 2025.

Published: Mar 9, 2023 2:26 PM Updated: Sep 3, 2026 7:49 PM

By Jeanel Alvarado

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Versace History: Gianni’s Fashion House and Prada Ownership

Updated history — September 3, 2026: Ownership has been updated and unsupported claims about a 2002 IPO and Gianni Versace’s employment history have been removed.

Gianni Versace founded Versace in 1978. The Italian house built a distinctive identity around expressive fashion, bold imagery and a close relationship with celebrity culture. Its official company profile traces a brand spanning fashion, interiors, fragrance and hospitality.

From Milan to international recognition Versace’s visual language made it immediately recognizable: dramatic silhouettes, vivid prints and the Medusa emblem communicated glamour rather than restraint. This consistency gave the house a point of difference as it expanded beyond the runway.

The Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana’s history of Versace records the label’s 1978 womenswear debut and Donatella Versace’s role in carrying the house forward after Gianni’s death in 1997. Who owns Versace? Versace became part of Prada Group on December 2, 2025.

Prada confirmed completion of the acquisition after regulatory approvals. Capri Holdings separately confirmed the sale. This is a completed ownership change, not a proposed transaction. Why the history matters to retail Versace illustrates the commercial value of recognizable brand codes…

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Versace History: Gianni’s Fashion House and Prada Ownership

Trace Versace from Gianni Versace’s 1978 founding in Milan to Donatella’s creative legacy and Prada Group’s completed acquisition in 2025.

Unlock the rest of this story

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