NYPD shuts down Versace sample sale after chaotic scene at Chelsea location

Published Mar 27, 2024 at 2:59 p.m. ET

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Published Mar 27, 2024 at 2:59 p.m. ET

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Police had to shut down a Versace sample sale on Wednesday after thousands of people descended on the streets of Chelsea to snag discounted fashions.

Social media was abuzz with images of the chaos on Wednesday morning, including images of shoppers being escorted by police.

“Now why are people doing the most at the Versace sample sale?" one user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The sample sale at 125 West 18th St. began at 9 a.m., though the hype had people waiting in line hours earlier. But within hours, store security personnel enlisted the police's help to control the crowd after a fight broke out in the line, according to the NYPD. The event was temporarily shut down and later reopened with no arrests.

One video shows officers with the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group ordering people to vacate the block, while another video depicts people shoving one another as they attempt to squeeze into the building.

A report of the event that includes footage of people pushing one another in the crowd has more than 17,000 hits on Citizen, an app used for posting safety alerts.

“10 a.m. on Wednesday? Do these people have jobs?” one user wrote.

Versace was originally launched in 1978 by siblings Donatella and Gianni Versace. The Italian luxury brand is currently enjoying a veritable moment in the zeitgeist as a litany of celebrities have recently sported some of its pieces, including Dua Lipa, Zendaya, Olivia Rodrigo and Miley Cyrus.

Sales for vintage Versace items have more than doubled in the first quarter of 2022, compared to 2021, and hits for “Versace vintage dress” are rising on Google Trends, W Magazine recently reported.

By Wednesday afternoon, a sign placed in front of the store's entrance announced that it was closed.

The uber-popular label did not immediately respond to multiple requests for comment from Gothamist.

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Giulia Heyward is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers politics and breaking news. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email gheyward@nypublicradio.org or Signal 917-715-1458.

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