I remember watching red carpets on TV from a young age. I didn’t pay much attention to the designer names and it wasn’t until later that I learned more about different fashion labels. I learned that designers Versace and Louis Vuitton both stand out in the fashion world for their distinct styling. It was only then that I understood the fierce debate about Versace vs Louis Vuitton, as both brands offer unique interpretations of luxury.
Versace, From Glitz and Glamour to Tragedy
Gianni Versace was always a part of the fashion industry. Born in Italy in 1946, Versace learned how to make dresses from his mother.
He worked for her dressmaking business as a teenager and in 1972, struck out on his own and moved to Milan. He started freelance designing and launched his own line in 1978, making an immediate splash on the Italian style scene.
Dresses that stood out for glamorous good looks became a trademark of the Versace brand. Gianni Versace experimented with materials and technology and integrated unusual elements into his designs.
Up-and-coming actresses, such as Elizabeth Hurley wore his gowns. She had a career-making moment when she stepped onto the red carpet in one of his creations in 1994.
A Life Cut Short
In July 1997, the world-famous designer was attacked and murdered right outside his own lavish Miami home at the age of 50.
He was shot multiple times by a killer in the midst of a murder spree, who murdered multiple other people before killing himself just eight days after gunning down the designer.
Versace Today
Gianni Versace’s family carried on his label and his legacy. Versace is currently owned by Capri Holdings Limited.
Its creative director is Gianni’s sister, Donatella Versace, who was involved in the label from the beginning.
Louis Vuitton Goes from Boxes to Stacks of Cash
The name Louis Vuitton has become immortal, timeless, which is why it’s so surprising that he was born over 200 years ago.
Louis Vuitton was born in France in 1821 and like Versace, he was born into a world of style. Vuitton grew up in the remote countryside of France, the son of a farmer and a milliner, hat maker.
His mother was likely an early inspiration for him and definitely gave him an introduction to fashion, but Vuitton’s life would soon be marred by tragedy.
His mother died when he was only 10 and his father remarried. Unhappy at home, Louis Vuitton left at age 13 and moved to Paris.
As fate would have it, Vuitton got a job working as an apprentice box maker.
A Student of Style
Vuitton did not train under just any box maker, but under an acknowledged expert of the craft. Back then, luggage was made by trained artisans who crafted every piece by hand.
Vuitton learned quickly and soon, his superior skills attracted some incredibly high-profile clients, including the Empress of France, wife of Napoleon III.
In 1854, it was time for Vuitton to open his own shop.
Becoming a Design Maverick
Louis Vuitton changed the game in 1858, when he created a trunk with a flat lid. Trunks were made with domed, curving lids prior to this.
The logic was that this dome-like top allowed moisture to roll off easily. Vuitton saw that a flat lid would make stacking and transporting trunks easier.
Then, he covered his trunks in gray canvas fabric. He designed the material himself to make the trunks both waterproof and stain-resistant.
The Louis Vuitton Look After 200 Years
That canvas fabric was re-created in several signature patterns and would go on to become a trademark of the brand that still exists today.
The Vuitton brand remained in the family. Georges Vuitton took the business over from his father on Louis’s passing and later passed it on to his son.
Currently, the label is owned by LVMH Moet Hennessey Louis Vuitton under creative director Virgil Abloh.
Comparing Versace vs Louis Vuitton Products
Both Versace and Louis Vuitton fashion have a high-end look to them. Versace is famous for sleek looks in striking single-color designs and fashions made with bold, eye-catching prints.
When it comes to Versace vs Louis Vuitton, the Vuitton look is focused more on simple elegance, revolving around classic and subtle patterns with lots of pin stripes and checks and monograms.
Versace vs Louis Vuitton: Talking About Handbags
Louis Vuitton and Versace are both known for high-end, luxury handbags made with quality materials and designs.
One of the most famous Louis Vuitton handbags ever created was the Speedy. Styled to look like a small duffle bag, the Speedy was created in the 1930s but came to fame in the 1960s, when Audrey Hepburn was seen carrying the bag.
It is still made today and it’s considered to be one of the must-have luxury handbags. Louis Vuitton was also the first brand to introduce the now-iconic bucket bag, a bag that is wider at the top than the bottom that closes with a drawstring.
Designed in 1932, the bag was created to carry champagne bottles. The iconic bucket bag shape has inspired multiple designers since.
Versace has its own catalog full bags, including the popular La Medusa Small Tote. Versace bags often famously use the head of Medusa as a logo, a nod to the Greek myth.
The hobo bag is another staple of the Versace catalog. This bag is a somewhat unstructured, large shoulder bag that can hold a lot of items.
It’s made in just about every color and pattern that Versace can offer. Between Versace vs Louis Vuitton, Versace handbags are often made in colorful designs using bold prints.
Louis Vuitton bags are styled with the LV monogram that has become synonymous with the brand. Classic, simple patterns are also a staple of Vuitton.
Wearing the Clothes
Both Versace and Louis Vuitton make high-end fashion. Versace is more famous for making red-carpet-worthy dresses, like the now-iconic green print dress worn by Jennifer Lopez.
The soft, silky green dress barely hung on the then-up-and-coming actress with a deeply plunging front V. Versace stands out even among other Italian fashion houses, such as Prada.
Louis Vuitton is most famous for bags, but the fashion house has produced some truly outstanding wearable fashion, too.
Louis Vuitton is best known for the zip-front, an element that has been featured in many dress styles over the decades.
Versace is known as a bold fashion brand. Vuitton’s looks are more sophisticated, more timeless. You could wear a Vuitton dress from the 1950s and still look elegant and stylish right now.
Clothing from Versace vs Louis Vuitton reflects two different approaches to fashion.
Versace vs Louis Vuitton: Watching the Time
Timekeeping accessories have been a part of fashion for centuries. Versace’s Greca sports watches are some of the most popular for the brand.
The Hellenyium is another popular watch line. Made with Swiss watch technology, Hellenyium watches have a modern look with scrollwork around the watch face and a distinct, flower-like shape.
Louis Vuitton is well-known for its Tambour watches, a line first introduced in 2002 and later perfected thanks to Swiss technology.
Accessorizing with Jewels
Versace’s Medusa ring is one of the most recognizable jewelry designs ever created. This is a round ring with a flat top and a raised Versace Medusa logo.
It pairs beautifully with the Gianni Versace Earrings, first introduced in the 1990s. These round earrings have a diamond-studded edge and a raised Medusa logo in the center.
One of the most standout Louis Vuitton designs is the Trunk Lock Pendant Necklace and Brooch. This is worn as either a pendant necklace or a brooch that is designed to look like an 1800s-era trunk lock.
It opens to reveal a small hidden mirror. The LV necklace, which is a simple design featuring the famous monogram suspended on a delicate chain, is another one of the brand’s most famous designs.
Louis Vuitton jewelry is typically refined, featuring smaller elements, while Versace is more about bold, glamorous styles.
Many Versace pieces feature the Medusa logo. Jewelry from Versace vs Louis Vuitton reflects current jewelry trends, but both brands have staple styles as well.
Smelling Like High Fashion
Bright Crystal is a popular favorite among Versace perfumes. It comes in a gorgeous pink bottle and has a floral scent with notes of rose and magnolia.
Louis Vuitton carries many different scents, but the most talked-about is probably City of Stars. It comes in an ombre pink and purple bottle and has a tropical scent with floral notes.
Versace vs Louis Vuitton perfumes have their own characteristics. Both brands create sophisticated scents, but Versace is known for more sensual blends.
Louis Vuitton perfumes have more refined notes.
The Work That Goes Into Designer Style
The craftsmanship and the materials that go into creating high fashion make style cost a lot more. Versace uses high-quality and exotic leathers, such as crocodile.
Louis Vuitton uses only high-quality metals in all accessories and fashion items, such as real gold. The process of making each item from any luxury brand also takes a lot of time, as many items are in whole or in part made by hand.
Lots of detail, such as beading and stitchwork, goes into each and every item. The labor and quality of material that goes into high-end fashion command a higher price.
Brand Recognition
Any luxury brand is a status symbol, and that holds true for anything from Louis Vuitton versus Versace or any other luxe label, like Coach.
This is why both these brands and so many other luxury brands are heavily branded with logos and specific patterns that are just as associated with the brand as the name itself.
What Versace is Known For
Versace is associated with being glamorous, a trait that remains from the brand’s early red-carpet fame. Fashion from Versace is bold and trendy, extremely modern and often, a little bit sexy.
The Louis Vuitton Look
Louis Vuitton fashions are more timeless, not so much trendy as they are always in style. The elegant, sophisticated look of Louis Vuitton is always a good choice.
Paying the Price for Luxury
How much will you pay to own an iconic piece of fashion from these famous brands? What’s the difference in price between Versace versus Louis Vuitton?
Versace vs Louis Vuitton: Carrying Stuff in Style
A Versace Goddess mini bag, an extremely popular and recognizable design, will cost you around $2,200. It’s made with calf leather that has a crocodile skin finish with a glossy sheen.
How does it compare when you measure Louis Vuitton vs Versace? The Louis Vuitton Twist is very close to the same size as the Goddess mini.
It’s made from lambskin that has a shiny finish. The bag has a sleek and simple design, with a large LV logo right on the front flap.
You’ll pay over $5,000 for the privilege of carrying this bag.
What You Will Pay for Designer Jeans
Show the world that you can be high-end and yet casual. A pair of Versace women’s jeans made in faded denim with a straight-leg design will run you upwards of $900.
A similar pair of boot-cut jeans from Louis Vuitton will cost over $1,500.
Versace vs Louis Vuitton: The High Fashion Little Black Dress
Both labels carry a big selection of classic little black dresses, so how do they compare when it comes to Versace versus Louis Vuitton?
One of these will cost you around $4,700 from Louis Vuitton for a highly flattering, elegant sleeveless mini style.
A similar sleeveless Versace minidress will range from around $2,500 to over $6,000.
Celebrities and Their Fashion
All famous designer labels have dressed celebrities over the years. Some celebrities have helped to make designer labels famous and sometimes, designer labels have helped to make celebrities famous.
Both Versace and Louis Vuitton dress celebrities.
Who’s Wearing Versace?
Versace often dresses young and hot celebrities. Many newcomers in the music and movie industry have been invited to wear Versace over the years.
Lady Gaga, Madonna and Jennifer Lopez have all worn the brand. Dua Lipa is one of the newer famous faces associated with the label.
She posts herself wearing Versace frequently on Instagram and she’s worn items from the famous fashion house in her music videos.
The Celebs Strutting in Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton has been around a long time and over the years, it has collected an impressive list of celebrity endorsements.
Silver screen queens like Audrey Hepburn and Lauren Bacall famously wore the brand, while newer style icons like Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Kardashian have helped to keep it in the fashion spotlight.
Emma Stone, Alicia Vikander and many more have put on the brand over the years. Louis Vuitton also dresses the youngest and newest celebs, such as K-pop star Song Joong Ki and J-hope from BTS.
Louis Vuitton and Versace are two of the most famous names in fashion. Both were pioneers in fashion and both were heavily influenced by their creative and stylish mothers.
These two luxury brands have plenty in common but they create such distinct styles, it is easy to see the differences between them.
Versace vs Louis Vuitton FAQs
What is the difference between Versace and Louis Vuitton?
Louis Vuitton is a French fashion house that started in Paris as a luxury trunk-making brand. Versace began over 100 years later in Milan, Italy, as an Italian luxury fashion house.
Both brands have since expanded to include all fashion items, including perfume.
Is Versace a high end brand?
Is Versace a luxury brand? Versace sells some of the finest fashions in the world, using only the finest materials and handcrafted techniques to produce trendy styles.
What luxury brand has the highest value?
Louis Vuitton is the most valuable luxury brand in the world, a title this brand has held for most of the millennia (so far), even above other luxury brands like Burberry and Gucci.
Versace vs Louis Vuitton, what’s the difference?
Versace’s designs are often tied to a sense of energy and excitement, while Louis Vuitton represents a sense of refinement and sophistication.
Sources:
Architectural Digest – The Hidden History of Louis Vuitton Is Revealed
Biography – Gianni Versace
CR Fashionbook – The Most Iconic Versace Dresses of All Time
Encyclopedia Britannica – Gianni Versace
Encyclopedia Britannica – Louis Vuitton
Sotheby’s – The 8 Most Popular Louis Vuitton Purses
Swiss Watches Magazine – Louis Vuitton
Who What Wear – Every Handbag Collector Should Buy Into This Iconic Brand