1978
Gianni’s Milan label
Versace launched his house with an expressive approach to colour, print and material. Classical references appeared alongside contemporary music and image-making.
The House & Its Designers
Versace
Milan · 1978
Colour, metal and a deliberately visible kind of glamour.
Gianni Versace built a house that joined classical imagery to pop culture and body-conscious clothes. The Medusa, Greek-key borders and bold hardware carry that identity into bags.
16 photographs · Reviewed August 2026
Explore the history ↓
01 / The house
The story behind the name.
1990s
Fashion as spectacle
The house’s close association with performers and supermodels amplified its visual language. After Gianni’s death in 1997, Donatella Versace led its creative development.
The bags
Hardware and recognition
The Medusa and La Greca motifs give accessories an immediate identity. Structured leather surfaces provide a frame for those graphic and metallic details.
2025–2026
A new ownership chapter
Versace joined Prada Group in 2025. Pieter Mulier was appointed chief creative officer, effective July 2026, following his tenure at Alaïa.
02 / The designers
The people who shaped the house.
Selected creative chapters; dates distinguish appointments from runway debuts.
1978–1997
Gianni Versace
Established the house’s expressive mix of classical references and contemporary glamour.
Creative leadership · 1997–2025
Donatella Versace
Sustained and developed the house’s visual identity after her brother’s death.
2025
Dario Vitale
Presented a collection during the transition between creative chapters.
Appointed effective July 2026
Pieter Mulier
Brings experience in sculptural clothing and atelier-led design.
On the runway
Selected looks and details, matched to the house and season.
Versace · Spring 2018 Ready To Wear
Versace · Spring 2020 Ready To Wear
Versace · Spring 2024 Ready To Wear
Versace · Fall 2024 Ready To Wear
03 / The bags
A vocabulary in leather and form.
A selection of the house’s designs. Resale photographs illustrate individual examples; size, finish and condition vary.
01
Virtus
An ornate V-shaped clasp connects the bag to the house’s Barocco decoration.
02
Athena
A practical tote silhouette carrying the house’s decorative branding.
More designs to know
- La Medusa
- A sculpted Medusa head gives this structured bag its focal point.
- Repeat
- A curved zip-top shoulder bag that returns to an archival Versace silhouette.
- Greca Goddess
- A structured flap bag with bold Greek-key chain hardware.