Versace 19.69 to open at Mall of America

When I reported on the rumors that a Versace store was coming to the Mall of America earlier this month, I was notified by that brand that the rumors were unfounded. In fact, it’s Versace 19.69—an unrelated Italian luxury clothing and accessories brand—that will be opening at the MOA, according to a press release. It’s easy to see where the confusion came from—the lesser-known Versace 19.69 Abbigliamento Sportivo Srl brand was founded by Alessandro Versace—no relation to Versace namesake Gianni Versace—in 2001. (The iconic, better-known Versace fashion house was founded by designer Gianni Versace in 1978.) The store will sell women’s ready-to-wear clothing, handbags, shoes, jewelry, watches, scarves, fragrances, skincare, and more, with price points ranging from $150 to $2,000 for apparel and accessories starting at $29.

The store is expected to open by late Fall 2016 in the space currently occupied by Mona Williams, on the west side of the mall on the main level near Nordstrom. (Mona Williams will reportedly move to a nearby location within the mall.) It will be the third U.S. store for the brand and first in the Midwest.

Update (July 19, 2016): This story originally reported that Gianni and Alessandro Versace were cousins, which was erroneous. Additionally, on July 1, 2016, Gianni Versace S.p.A. and Versace USA Inc. filed a complaint on June 27 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against Versace 19.69 Abbigliamento Sportivo S.R.L., Versace 19.69 Italia SRL CEO Theofanis Papadas, and the brand’s other registered trademarks (V1969 Versace SMO LLC, V1969 Versace HG LLC, and V1969 USA LLC) alleging trademark infringement and other counts. For his part, Alessandro Versace is no longer involved in the company—it was purchased by a Greek citizen in 2012.