Recognising Genuine Versace: An Authentication Guide
Versace's Medusa has been copied since the 90s: counterfeit silk shirts, knitwear, belts and accessories circulate in huge numbers. Here is how to recognise a genuine piece from the Milanese house.
At NB08, every piece is checked and authenticated in our boutique before it goes on sale. Here are the checkpoints.
Why check the authenticity of a Versace piece?
Versace baroque is spectacular — and crudely imitated: the copies invariably miss the fine detail of the Medusa and the quality of the materials.
The Medusa and the Greca
The authentic Medusa head is finely detailed: distinct curls of hair, an expressive face, crisp outlines — whether embroidered, engraved or printed. The Greca motif (Greek meander) is geometrically perfect and aligned. A Medusa with blurred features or an irregular Greca: a counterfeit.
Labels and markings
A woven neck label (Versace or Versace Jeans Couture, depending on the line — beware of mixing up the ranges), composition labels with product code and Italian manufacture on the main lines. Fine, even typography is a must.
Materials and finishing
Dense silks with crisp, well-matched prints, heavy knits (wool), weighty gold hardware on the accessories, even stitching. A shiny polyester satin sold as silk is the classic sign of a copy.
Price and seller: the warning signs
A Versace silk shirt sold at a tenth of the price is fake. Ask for macro photos of the Medusa and the labels.
Checklist: authenticating a Versace piece in 7 points
- Finely detailed Medusa
- Geometric, aligned Greca
- Woven label from the right line
- Consistent product code + country of manufacture
- Dense, heavy silk/knit
- Weighty, engraved hardware
- Realistic price and reliable seller
Buy authenticated Versace at NB08
All our Versace pieces are checked and authenticated in our boutique before they go on sale.
