A yr after Jimmy Choo purchase, Michael Kors now set to pick up Versace for $2 bn

By Tommaso Ebhardt, Sarah Syed and Robert Williams

Handbag maker Michael Kors Holding Ltd. is nearing an agreement to buy Gianni Versace SpA after the iconic Italian fashion house drew interest from several suitors, people familiar with the plans said.
Michael Kors may announce a deal as early as this week that values Versace at about $2 billion, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the discussions are private. The Versace family will continue to have a role in the company under any agreement, they said. While talks are advanced, no final agreements have been reached, the people said.

Blackstone Group LP owns 20 percent of Versace, which sells leopard-print sweatshirts for 2,100 euros ($2,470) and 995-euro tartan-covered sneakers. The private equity firm plans to sell its stake in the deal, according to a person familiar with the situation.

A representative for Versace declined to comment on the potential transaction. Michael Kors couldn’t immediately be reached. A spokesman for Blackstone had no immediate comment.

London-based Kors last year snapped up shoemaker Jimmy Choo Plc for about 896 million pounds ($1.2 billion), expanding beyond its namesake brand. Now, it’s vying with Coach owner Tapestry Inc. to build a U.S.-based multi-brand fashion empire along the lines of Paris-based conglomerates LVMH and Kering SA.

Versace, known for its flamboyant style and Medusa-head logo, hired Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Akeroyd in 2016 from Alexander McQueen. The company had been working toward an initial public offering, though market conditions haven’t allowed it to move ahead.


Several Parties
Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported earlier that Versace could be sold this week for about $2 billion, with several groups interested including Kors and Tiffany & Co. LVMH, PVH Corp. and Tapestry also looked at Versace in recent months, according to a report on Sunday by Women’s Wear Daily.

Donatella Versace and her brother Santo Versace have helped run the company since their brother Gianni’s murder in 1997. Donatella serves as creative director, while Santo is chairman.

Versace had revenue of 686 million euros and returned to profit in 2017, according to figures provided by the company. The brand has been at its most prominent in years since a hit show last September at Milan Fashion Week. In a tribute to Gianni, Donatella Versace brought back the most iconic looks from his collections spanning the 1990s, including silk blouses mixing leopard prints with images of baroque architecture. She closed the collection by walking the runway herself, arm-in-arm with 1990s models including Carla Bruni and Cindy Crawford.