Goodbye Versus Versace

Just over a month after the announcement of the acquisition of Gianni Versace spa by Michael Kors Holdings Limited (now Capri Holdings Limited), for € 1.83 billion, the maison announces the end of Versus which, starting from November, will be merged within the Versace Jeans line, produced under license by Swinger International. Despite being on standby from 2005 to 2009, the brand born in 1989 as a gift from Gianni to his sister Donatella, showed the fashion world how to entrust the creative direction to young talents (from Christopher Kane to Anthony Vaccarello or JW Anderson) can reinterpret the heritage of a historical company in a cool, contemporary and accessible way. Its closure confirms the trend of many luxury brands to eliminate the production of second lines to focus on a single offer, as also underlined by the words pronounced in the news by the CEO of Versace, Jonathan Akeroyd:

"In recent months we have studied how to simplify our business model and focus the brand portfolio more precisely, in order to continue to be proactive and innovative in everything we do".

Is the period of the diffusion lines definitively concluded? Apparently, yes. Fashion houses, now, opt for a policy of simplification of their commercial offerings. Dolce and Gabbana and Marc Jacobs decided to focus on the company's main brand by ceasing production of D&G and Marc by Marc Jacobs; some brands have chosen to reinvent themselves by calling new designers as happened with the arrival of Lorenzo Serafini from Philosophy; others, for example, Victoria Beckham with Victoria Beckham Denim and the collection Victoria, Victoria Beckham, have joined several lines. Why? “The fixed marketing costs to sustain a line are increasing, it only makes sense to consolidate where this is possible,” said Luca Solca, head of luxury goods at Exane BNP Paribas to BoF. The important role of the Internet and the consequent increase in e-commerce have shifted the current landscape towards direct distribution to the consumer. To achieve an important share of potential customers, a strong brand identity has become necessary, so eliminating secondary lines is a way to avoid confusion and to fragment both efforts and expenses and results.