Arts & Entertainment
Michael Kors’ acquisition of Versace causes fashion fans to break down
The deal left some people confused

Versace storefront. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)
Clothing and accessories brand Michael Kors announced it is buying luxury brand Versace, which was founded by Gianni Versace in 1978, for approximately $2.12 billion on Tuesday.
The announcement came as a shock for Versace fans who felt the two brands were radically different. Michael Kors is an American fashion house known for its affordability in its handbags, jewelry, watches and sportswear. Meanwhile, Versace is an Italian fashion house with high-end, luxury items.
Kors is expected to open 100 new Versace stores and hopes to build Versace’s online shopping presence. There will also be more focus on selling shoes and accessories.
“It has been more than 20 years since I took over the company along with my brother Santo and daughter Allegra,” Donatella Versace said in a press release. “I am proud that Versace remains very strong in both fashion and modern culture.”
Michael Kors Holdings Limited will change its name to Capri Holdings Limited. The Versace family will receive an estimated $177 million in the new company.
Donatella Versace will still be on board as creative director. However, Versace fans were devastated by the news.
Why is Donatella selling Versace…. to Michael Kors….
The brand about to go from high end luxury to TJ Maxx & Walmart. pic.twitter.com/kGSbkaJNq6
— BabyBoy 10/5? (@Drebae_) September 24, 2018
Gianni Verace would never sign his brand to Michael Kors if he was still living. As a huge Versace fan this bothers me. 2 billion ain’t enough for that brand and to let them take over a legacy smh I’m tight @Versace ??
— David Ball (@king_david_b) September 25, 2018
Gianni Versace didn’t die for his ICONIC brand to be sold to some cheap & tacky designer who is the epitome of locals knowledge on designer brands & whos bags u can’t even tell the difference between the fakes they sell in turkey, this is the end of Versace. I’m so disappointed https://t.co/yRu3U6B0Ik
— ً (@cokelagerfeld) September 24, 2018
Gianni Versace rn pic.twitter.com/TMtwudqIPj
— carmen kass stan (@snejanahatesfgs) September 24, 2018
“Michael Kors is reportedly set to buy Versace for $2 billion this week” Gianni Versace sweetie, I’m so sorry
— femme fatale (@eliesaaab) September 24, 2018
I’m really sad about Versace being bought by Michael Kors. I feel like the brand should be perpetrated by Donatella and stayed an Italian house. We all saw what americans have done to european houses when they were given the creative direction and it should’ve been a lesson.
— gmoney ⚡️ (@SahelianBeaauty) September 25, 2018
Online Culture
Clavicular charged in alleged rape of teenage influencer
Online personality’s real name is Braden Peters
Online personality Clavicular, whose real name is Braden Peters, has been accused of rape.
According to NBC, Aleksandra Vasilevna Mendoza, an 18-year-old influencer known online as Alorah or Alorah Ziva, accused Peters of sexual assault, and the case is making its way through the court system.
The alleged incident occurred on May 23, 2025, when Mendoza was 17.
According to a criminal complaint from the Chatham (Mass.) Police Department, Peters called her an Uber to his family’s home. Once there, he allegedly got her drunk on vodka while they livestreamed on Twitch and then raped her. His mother and grandmother were allegedly in the house.
The documents allege Clavicular committed rape, drugging a person for sexual intercourse, and procuring and providing liquor to a person under 21.
According to court documents acquired by NPR, Mendoza began communicating with Peters on Instagram, where he paid her to appear on his livestreams to help her “make her name known on social media.”
According to those documents, Peters arranged for the minor to come to Cape Cod home to participate in a videostream for his 437,000 followers on Kick, 1.2 million followers on TikTok, and more than 1 million followers on Instagram.
At his home, Peters allegedly instructed Mendoza to say she was 18 on his videostream and to claim the alcohol on camera was water instead of vodka. Mendoza said she felt peer-pressured to drink the spirit and that she became noticeably intoxicated after a couple of drinks.
The allegations go on to state that after stopping the stream, Peters and Mendoza kissed on a couch and then had sex in his bed without her consent. Mendoza said she did not receive a sexual assault forensic exam after the incident. NPR does not name alleged victims of sexual assault.
The charges come months after Mendoza sued Peters in Miami, accusing him of sexual battery in connection with the events of May 2025. The civil lawsuit also separately alleges that he injected her face with a non-FDA-approved fat-dissolving substance during a November livestream in Florida.
Peters is known for his “looksmaxxing” concept of vanity, which is at the core of his online presence. The “looksmaxxing” culture he has helped cultivate combines elements of incel culture and heterosexuality, with the stated goal of attracting the opposite sex. He has gone as far as to say he has undergone “bonesmashing,” or hitting his own face with a hammer; taken anabolic steroids to more rapidly grow muscle; and used crystal meth as an appetite suppressant.
At the same time, looksmaxxing has been described as having elements of homoeroticism, with “looksmaxxers” appearing more concerned with impressing other men than women. Peters has multiple times pointed to openly gay actor Matt Bomer as the gold standard for male facial aesthetics.
Peters’s arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 14.
Photos
PHOTOS: Shenandoah Valley Pride
LGBTQ celebration held at Turner Pavilion in Harrisonburg, Va.
The 2026 Shenandoah Valley Pride Festival was held at Turner Pavilion in Harrisonburg, Va. on Sunday, Sept. 20.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
















Whitman-Walker Health held the 40th annual Walk and 5K to End HIV at Anacostia Park on Saturday, Sept. 19.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)



















