A lesser-known Versace brand is trying to make its mark in the U.S. and is getting started by opening one of its first stores at the Mall of America. The name is a mouthful — Versace 19.69 Abbigliamento Sportivo Srl — but it goes by Versace 19.69 for short. The Mall of America store will open this fall and will be on the first floor on the west side of the mall between Nordstrom and DSW. It will be the brand's third store in the U.S., following two others scheduled to open this summer in San Francisco and Santa Monica, Calif.

The signing of the high-end tenant is one of the megamall's first recent successes in attracting more upscale retailers. The mall's leasing team is currently courting a number of other luxury brands that it had initially hoped to put in its north side addition that opened last year. Now the mall is hoping to house them in the next phase of its expansion — a planned $500 million project called the Collections at MOA, which would be a high-end shopping district.

At the same, it's facing fierce competition from the Galleria in Edina, which recently landed a Tory Burch boutique that will open in October.

Still, in recent months, the Mall of America has added a number of other notable tenants new to this region, though they are more middle of the road in price point. A Shake Shack burger joint opened earlier this month to long lines. Fabletics, an activewear brand by Kate Hudson, and NYX Cosmetics have also recently opened. And then there is the highly anticipated 30,000-square-foot Zara store, a Spanish fast-fashion retailer that will open later this year.

Versace 19.69 was established in Milan in 2001 by Alessandro Versace.

The 2,000 square-foot Mall of America store will include women's apparel, handbags, shoes, jewelry, watches, scarves, fragrances and skin care. Its clothes range in price from $150 to $2,000.

"Mall of America is the perfect property to debut the Versace 19.69 concept to the Midwest," Heather Brechbill Swilley, vice president of leasing at the mall, said in a statement. "We are excited to share this first-to-market, Italian-made brand with our local, national and international visitors."

Kavita Kumar • 612-673-4113