Undoubtedly one of the most glamorous labels, Versace Jeans Couture will never be described as minimalist, basic or boring that’s for sure. Versace Jeans Couture is part of the iconic Versace powerhouse, which is now owned by Micheal Kors.
Popular for its high fashion designs and rich brand heritage, Versace Jeans Couture is a go-to label for those looking for a luxury but affordable handbag. Looking at why Versace Jeans Couture is so popular, here’s our complete guide, starting at the beginning…
Brand Story
Versace Jeans Couture was the diffusion line of the Versace fashion house that was founded in 1978 by Italian designer Gianni Versace. To understand why Versace Jeans Couture is so popular you have to start with the brand’s story.
Gianna Versace was born in Reggio Calabria Italy, he had two older siblings and his mother and father ran a dress-making company. His mother made the dresses while his father handled the finances. Gianni’s older sister passed away at the age of twelve due to illness, so at the age of ten, his mother had his little sister Donatella.
Donatella and Gianni were extremely close, Gianni treasured her growing up and spent a lot of time looking after her. He learnt how to sew, sketch and create dresses through the family business and he adopted his mother’s mantra, that clothes should give people the power and confidence to feel their best.
At the age of 26, Gianni moved to Milan and emersed himself in luxury fashion. He started working for a clothing Manufacturer ‘Genny’s’ where he designed two ready-to-wear collections. Gianni spent 6 years living and networking in the industry and he eventually made a collection that went on display at Place Della Permanente Art Museum. The collection was a success and it brought him a wave of publicity and new clientele. In 1978, aged 32 Gianni opened up his first boutique in Milan’s famous Via Della Spiga shopping district. The key to his designs was to make people feel sexy, confident and powerful, which is why although he started with only a small dress rail they continued to grow in popularity.
Gianni used his sister Donatella as his style muse, with an eye for fashion herself and unafraid to share her criticism she stepped into the role as his advisor. Donatella later became Vice president and his older brother Santo, President. Going against fashion norms, he didn’t like that it had been decided men had to wear suits and ties.
Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you.
The likes of Cher, Elton John and Madonna all started wearing Versace. Versace unlike other luxury brands didn’t just want to be accessible to the upper class, he wanted everyone to be able to enjoy a little piece of Versace, selling smaller items such as accessories and homeware.
Unfortunately at the age of 50 in 1997, Gianni was murdered outside his home in Miami. Since moving there with his partner, he was loved for his down-to-earth personality, often in the clubs to find fashion inspiration and being a friendly neighbour who always said hello. After his death, his sister and brother continued to run the business as a family business.
The brand went on to endure some low years after Gianni’s death with Donatella’s struggles being well known within the industry. However, the turn of the twentieth century sparked a resurgence of the brand. Donatella following in her late brother’s footsteps merged popular culture by combining fashion with musical influences. Jennifer Lopez was her first muse, draped in the now famous jungle dress at the 2000 grammy awards. The dress sent the world into pandemonium with now the presence of the digital world people could now search for the green dress on google which gave it global visibility.
