Opening doors today, Versace's new concept store is the latest addition to the increasingly luxe block of Mercer Street between Houston and Prince, which also houses Marc Jacobs, Vera Wang and Marni.
Conceived by Donatella Versace—who told WWD that New York is the city she loves "most in the world—and architect Jamie Fobert, the 1,785-square-foot space will feature limited-edition collections curated by a variety of fashion and art world personalities.
Each curator will offer a unique interpretation of the Versace brand, starting with English designer Christopher Kane (who also designs VERSUS alongside Donatella), whose capsule collection for the store includes T-shirts printed with archival Versace graphics and a pair of gold earbuds stamped with the iconic Medusa head.
As for the space itself, Fobert found inspiration in Syrian Byzantine mosaics. The expansive marble mosaic that greets customers are the entrance to the store was inspired by a similar Roman work dating back to 800 A.D.
“Photos of floors of ancient churches were reminiscent of the style of Gianni’s houses,” Versace explained to WWD. "The mosaic appears as if it was dug up, as if it was being discovered."
