Brief introduction

Gianni Versace (born December 2, 1946 – 15 July 1997) – Italian fashion designer and founder of the International Fashion House Versace, which produces perfume, cosmetics, accessories, clothing, and household goods. Versace makes costumes for movies, theater and opera production. She is Eric Clapton’s friend, daughter of Diana from Wales, Naomi Campbell, Duran Duran, Madonna, Elton John, Cher, Sting and many other celebrities. One of the first fashion designers to combine fashion and music. Gianni and his colleague Antonio D’Amiko regularly attend a fashion party.

On July 15, 1997, Versace was killed by a serial killer Andrew Kunenen at the door of his house, Casa Casuarina, in Miami Beach, Florida, at the age of 50 years.

Youth

Giovanni Maria Versace was born on December 2, 1946 at Reggio Calabria, Italy, in the family of Tailor Francesca Versace and her husband. Gianni grew up with her siblings Saint and younger sister Donatella. Brother Gianni Tina died of Tetanus at the age of 12 years. In his youth, Gianni liked the history of ancient Greece, which played a major role in the development of Italy. He attended Lyceum Classico Tommaso Campanella, where he learned Latin and Ancient Greece, but did not complete the course. American artist Andy Warhol also has a big influence on him.

Career

He began his career in his hometown in the Francesca Versace fashion studio, which belonged to his mother. The main customer of the studio is a representative of a rich family in the Calabria region – the wife of the businessman and the top manager. Gianni helps her mother sew clothes, get accessories and also get cloth. Here he learned sketches, drawing, cutting cloth, and sewing clothes. In 1972 Versace moved to Milan and became a guest designer from several fashion lines, including Genny, Callaghan and Coming. In 1973 he became a byblos designer, the Genny Fashion House youth line, and in 1977 developed a complice line at his own request.

On March 28, 1978, Versace presented the first collection of women’s clothing brands at the Palazzo Della Permanente Art Museum in Milan. The first fashion show took place in September the same year. In 1978 Gianni opened a boutique on the most prestigious shopping road in Milan – through Della Spiga. Also in 1978, Gianni founded his own fashion home, Gianni Versace Spa, and appointed her brother Santo as President and sister Donatella as Vice President. Donatella is responsible for creative supervision and acting as the main advisor to Versace. Gianni also recruited Donatella’s husband Paul Beck as director of the men’s clothing line.

In the 1980s, Gianni developed clothes for his own brand and explored the new business area. In 1981 he launched the Women’s Fragrance of Gianni Versace, in 1984 the fragrance of man L’Homme. In 1982, Versace expanded its business by producing jewelry and household appliances including furniture, textiles, and cutlery under the Versace Home brand.

In 1989, Versace declared himself in the world of Haute Couture and began to create a collection of Haute Couture under the Atelier Versace brand and performance performances at the Ritz Hotel in Paris. He used the most famous photographer and model for advertising campaigns and fashion shows in the 1980s and 1990s. Products from their fashion homes represented by Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangellista, Claudia Schiffer and many others.

He fostered an intensive top model cult, paying his favorite fashion model for extraordinary costs and formed their image as a superstar in the mass culture. According to Donatella Versace, “Gianni created this phenomenon by bringing the best model to the podium at the same time.”

Gianni Versace reached the peak of her fame in the early 1990s with her famous client – Madonna and Princess Wales Diana.

Career spotlight

Versace was shot by Andrew Kunenen on his Casuarina Mansion stairs at Miami Beach on the morning of July 15, 1997 after returning from the roads along the Ocean Drive. Usually Versace sends his assistant to the morning newspaper to the news cafe, but on the decisive day, he decided to go alone. Versace’s death was recorded at 9:21 in the morning at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Eight days later, Künen committed suicide in a boat house surrounded by police rings. Künen is obsessed with Versace and often brag about his acquaintance with famous fashion designers and other famous people. The FBI agent believes Versace and Kunenen meet in San Francisco, but it is uncertain what kind of relationship they have. Reporter Maureen Orth published an article at the Vanity Fair Magazine in 2008 claiming that Künen and Versace met at a San Francisco nightclub in 1990 and the possibility would be closer. However, the Versace family always firmly denied the fact that Gianni and his killer together.

The body of Gianni Versace was cremated and ash was buried in the family basement in the Maltrasio Cemetery (Municipality Cernobbio) near Lake Como.

Famous quote

Decide who you are, what you want to express in the way you dress and your way of life. …
In the past, people were born as kingdoms. … I am not interested in the past, except as a way to the future. …
Don’t enter the trend. … that’s the key to this collection, be yourself.