Gianni Versace

Giovanni "Gianni" Versace (Reggio Calabria, December 2, 1946 – Miami, July 15, 1997) was a charismatic and accomplished Italian designer of clothing and theater costumes. He was influenced by Andy Warhol and modern abstract art; and considered one of the most colourful and talented designers of the late 20th century.

Early life

Gianni, Santo and Donatella Versace were brought up in Reggio Calabria, by their father and dressmaker mother, Francesca. Gianni began his apprenticeship at a young age, helping his mother find precious stones and gold braid with which to embroider dresses. He studied architecture before moving to Milan at the age of 25 to work in fashion design. In the mid-Seventies, his knits drew the attention of head-hunters at Genny and Callaghan. Complice hired him to design their leather and suede collections, and a few years later, encouraged by his success Versace presented his first signature collection for women at the Palazzo della Permanente Art Museum of Milan. His first menswear collection followed in September of the same year.

Life and career

Versace considered himself a tailor, rather than a designer. He knew how to cut and sew the clothes he made. He tried on the men's collections personally and had his sister Donatella try on the women's clothing. The Versace look of the young, aggressive and sexy woman is well-known. He liked to create sexy clothes for his women, skin-tight with low cuts and high slits on the skirts. Versace was among the first to revive the cat suit, to bring back the mini skirt, to show tights worn as trousers, to bring the bustier out at night and bead it. In 1982 his dresses made with fine metal mesh first appeared and were a hit. In less than 10 years, Versace built an empire worth $807 million. He used celebrities, including Madonna, Jon Bon Jovi, and Tina Turner, as models for both the runway and print ads. He was one of the first Italian designers to hire world-class photographers such as Richard Avedon to photograph his advertising campaigns, also using the top fashion models for these ads. Versace has been referred to as the rock-and-roll designer and clients include Phil Collins, Bruce Springsteen, George Michael, Eric Clapton, Elton John, and Michael Jackson. He has also made clothes for the Princess of Wales Diana Spencer and Caroline of Monaco. In 1982, Versace opened a new chapter in his career, making costumes for the theatre, opera and ballet. He began a close collaboration with choreographer Maurice Bejart. He went on to design accessories, jewellery, furnishings, and china. He was also hired as a costume designer on the TV series Miami Vice. This led to his relocation to Miami Beach.

Death

The designer battled with a rare cancer of the inner ear. He was presumed to be in remission when, one July morning in the summer of 1997, returning from his customary walk on Ocean Drive, he was gunned down outside his ocean-front mansion in Miami Beach, Florida. He was murdered by the spree killer Andrew Cunanan, who committed suicide shortly after killing Versace. In September 1997, Gianni Versace's brother Santo Versace was announced as the new CEO of the Versace holding. Gianni's sister Donatella Versace is the new head of design. Rock singer Elton John dedicated his 1997 album The Big Picture to Versace.

Filmography

=Costume designer

Ballet for Life (1997)
Judge Dredd (1995)
Shakespeare Shorts (1996, TV series)
Showgirls (1995)
Kika (1993)
Vacanze di Natale (also known as Christmas Vacations, 1991)
Cin cin (also known as A Fine Romance, 1991)
As Long as It's Love (1989)
Miami Vice (1989, TV series)

=Actor

Catwalk (1996)

Awards

Versace was awarded the coveted American Fashion Oscar on February 1, 1993.
President of the Italian Republic Francesco Cossiga, confers the decoration of "Commendatore della Repubblica Italiana" on him on January 24, 1986.

External links

Versace House on Ocean Drive
South Beach Magazine Article on Gianni Versace's life in Miami Beach with photos.
The Widower Versace Article on his lover Antonio D'Amico from Out (magazine)
ItalianVisits.com Versace's birthplace

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