Versace’s legacy: 47 years since the first show in Milan

On the eve of the 47th anniversary of March 28, 1978, when Gianni Versace presented his first women's collection under his own name at the Palazzo della Permanente, we reflect on the legacy of both the designer and the brand he created. Though Versace was tragically murdered in Miami on July 15, 1997, his fashion house has secured its place in the pantheon of Italian fashion history. Recently, the brand has also been at the center of financial news, with speculation that it may soon become part of the Prada Group.

The History

In the early 1980s, Carla Sozzani was always in step with the times, wearing tailored jackets by Giorgio Armani, dresses by Gianni Versace, and pieces Versace designed for Callaghan. This detail is highlighted in Carla Sozzani, Art, Life and Fashion, a book recently written by Louise Baring for L'Ippocampo.

Gianni Versace, who founded his eponymous fashion house in 1978, had already captured the attention of Sozzani, a pivotal figure in shaping fashion, art, and design over the past decades. As the director of Elle and special editions of Vogue, she collaborated with designers such as Azzedine Alaïa, Romeo Gigli, and Paco Rabanne. In 1990, she launched 10 Corso Como, an innovative retail space blending fashion, art, design, and hospitality, where she brought her pioneering vision to life.

Like Versace, Carla Sozzani played a crucial role in establishing Milan as a global fashion capital. Gianni Versace – born Giovanni Maria Versace in Reggio Calabria on December 2, 1946, nine years before his sister Donatella – was immersed in fashion from a young age, working in his mother’s dressmaking atelier.

His Calabrian roots, experience as a costume designer, and Milanese sensibility, marked by precision and ambition, helped shape Versace’s identity as a maison defined by bold, luxurious, and sensual style. That vision remains as influential as ever, with the brand still captivating celebrities and VIPs today. So much so, in fact, that the Prada Group is now in talks to acquire it.

"Reggio is the kingdom where the fairytale of my life began: my mother's tailoring shop, the high-fashion boutique. The place where, as a child, I began to appreciate the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Aeneid, where I began to breathe the art of Magna Graecia," Versace recounted in the 1990s. In 1972, he moved to Milan to work as a designer, creating the first collections for Genny, Complice, and Callaghan. In 1975, he presented his first leather collection for Complice.

On March 28, 1978, at the Palazzo della Permanente in Milan, Gianni Versace presented the first women's collection under his own name. From that moment onwards, Versace revolutionized the fashion world with his innovative creations, characterized by vibrant colors and prints that never go unnoticed, all imbued with that Milanese glamour that conquered the world, especially before the 2000s.

The brand is known worldwide for its bold use of prints inspired by classical art and pop culture. This is how the Medusa logo became a symbol of luxury, while Gianni Versace remains a revolutionary who broke traditional molds. His sister, Donatella Versace, has adapted the brand over time to the evolution of culture and society, giving the collections a contemporary edge and boldness.

Prominent admires of the brand

One of the most recognisable fans of the band is the singer Madonna, who is one of the icons who has collaborated most with Versace, wearing his clothes on numerous occasions, both on and off stage. Princess Diana was also a great admirer of Versace, and her looks by the brand have become iconic. Jennifer Lopez wore a green Versace gown to the 2000 Grammy Awards, a moment that has become one of fashion's most iconic. Elton John often wore the creations of his friend Gianni Versace, as did models Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford, who walked the runway and wore Versace for years.

Versace Today

Today, Versace produces women's, men's, and children's ready-to-wear, shoes, handbags and accessories, the Atelier Versace line, eyewear, fragrances and watches, Versace Home furnishings, and the Versace Jeans Couture line. The company has 230 boutiques and 638 authorized points of sale worldwide.

Since 2018, the brand has been part of Capri Holdings, a company reportedly in talks to sell the brand to Prada Group.

Donatella Versace was at the creative helm until recently, stepping away from her position as creative director mere weeks ago. For her final collection, Fall/Winter 2025-26, the designer, who remains as chief brand ambassador after passing the creative reins to Dario Vitale, drew on the past to create a new path towards the future, revisiting Versace's core values: freedom, individuality, and integrity. The designs and motifs of Versace Home, one of the first lifestyle lines created by a fashion brand, permeated the runway.

A meeting of neoclassicism and contemporary style characterizes the collection, evoking the interiors of Gianni Versace's residences. Sculptural and theatrical silhouettes alternate with punk-style deconstructions. Atelier Versace bustier dresses with hyper-structured, print-lined skirts defy gravity on the runway, alongside voluminous Spencer jackets or knitwear, tailored coats, and the playful skirts of padded evening gowns.