Will Michael Kors' Acquisition Turn Versace Into a Midbrow Brand?

Many consumers fear just that, but retail analysts differ

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The $2.1 billion acquisition of Versace by Michael Kors Holdings Limited announced this morning generated an immediate response from consumers—much of it negative. Any change concerning a beloved brand is bound to rouse some rabble on Twitter, of course, but in this case many of those consumers have struck on the critical question that Capri Holdings Limited—the new corporate name that the combined brands will take—will have to confront: Will the acquisition benefit Kors at the expense of Versace?

A goodly number appear to think so.

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