Fashion owes Gianni Versace – in addition to the creation of supermodels – the concept of a catwalk as a media event, the glorification of the front row and some of the most challenging designs between the 70s and 90s. The native designer from Calabria, infected first Italy and then the world with its Greco-Roman aesthetic, which became the symbol par excellence of the Versace house.
Gianni challenged the concepts of femininity of the time with his designs, he sought to encourage women to regain possession of their body through the power of dress, ‘he wanted to make people believe in fashion again.’ He played with the irony characteristic of Italian design to bring a narrative to the catwalk where the woman was the protagonist, she made sensuality her flag and excess her insignia.
The founder of the Italian house Versace, built a fashion house on the foundations of questioning good taste, as well as other Italian designers such as Franco Moschino, Gianni brought a new definition for luxury and classicism, using the hyperbole of sexuality as identity for your creations. With a vision that went in the opposite direction of the fashion of the time, Versace used the criticism that his brand raised for his convenience, being one of the first designers to understand the importance of the media for promotion.
Also read: How difficult is it to get the Hermès Birkin bag? All about the waiting list and prices
He was a visionary of prints, the master of bold cuts and a pioneer of textiles, Versace achieved what any brand of the moment was looking for, becoming not only a fashion house, but also a lifestyle. Gianni Versace‘s design was an ode to the woman’s body, a symbol of a new liberation movement in fashion, values that remain latent even years after his departure.
Who was Gianni Versace?
Gianni Versace was an Italian fashion designer, and founder of the house of Versace. He was known as the designer who brought a new vision of sensuality to the fashion scene of the time, with his designs influenced by Greek mythology, typical of the place where he was born. Versace‘s designs stood out for the convergence between luxury and sensuality, with extravagant prints, bright colors and daring silhouettes. Gianni is credited with creating the ’90s supermodel phenomenon, having discovered the likes of Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington.
Where was Gianni Versace from?
Giovanni Maria Versace was born on December 2, 1946 in Reggio Calabria in southern Italy. Gianni had two older siblings, Santo and Tina Versace, his younger sister is Donatella Versace. Her mother, Francesca, was a dress designer in the area, she had a sewing business in which Gianni was her apprentice.
What is the story of Gianni Versace?
Gianni has been interested in fashion since he was a child. The designer worked in his mother’s workshop, who was a local seamstress with a small dress business. At the age of 26 he moved to Milan to study fashion design, and managed to become the designer of Byblos, a line for the Italian clothing brand Gennys. With this company Gianni was also in charge of the Complice line, a more youthful version with which Gianni began to attract attention and manage to position his designs in fashion magazines.
Supported by investment from the Girombelli family, fashion investors, Gianni Versace established his own company in 1978 and presented his first women’s collection at the Museo della Permanente in Milan. Versace opened his first store the same year on Via della Spiga, the city’s fashion destination. With the opening of his store, Gianni soon became the new center of attention of Italian fashion, attracting attention with his ode to sensuality, vivid colors and extravagant prints. Gianni Versace‘s house was built with the support of his family, Santo, his older brother, was appointed as the president of the company, while Donatella was designer and vice president. MOST VIEWED
The brand was named after Gianni Versace before being taken solely by the surname, Gianni’s creations were closely connected to his southern Italian roots, and his obsession with the Greek mythology that predominated in the area. His designs showed motifs from Greco-Roman art, making the jellyfish the insignia and logo of his brand, also being inspired by the graphic movement of the time, promoted by Warhol and Lichtenstein. By the beginning of the 80s, Versace was already an international house with a presence in Asia, expanding with lines of jewelry, decoration and home textiles.
Also read: Coco Chanel: her story, biography and influence on fashion
In 1989, Atelier Versace arrived , the Italian brand’s haute couture line . It was at this time that Gianni began to popularize the use of celebrities on his catwalks, campaigns and in the front row of his shows. Versace was a pioneer of the 90s supermodel phenomenon, discovering and bringing to the catwalk figures such as Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington; models and personal friends of the designer.
What was the relationship between Donatella and Gianni Versace like?
Gianni Versace ‘s relationship with his younger sister, Donatella, was always very close. She was his muse, collaborator and partner. At the time of the establishment of the Versace brand, Donatella was appointed by her brother as creative consultant, designer and vice president, while her husband at the time, Paul Beck, was the director of the famous men’s line. The Italian designer was inspired by her sister to create his designs, always taking her as a reference and reason for creation. Donatella became the image of the brand’s campaigns, while on other occasions she recreated her look on other models or celebrities, including a campaign in which Donatella was impersonated with Madonna.
What are Gianni Versace’s most recognized designs?
Gianni Versace imposed a style that changed the fashion scene of his time, his designs were provocative and had bold silhouettes, which highlighted the femme fatale style of the woman of the moment. Gianni combined luxury and classicism with sexuality and freedom of expression, questioning the standards of good taste through his iconic creations.
Also read: Casual fashion style: what it is and what are its characteristics
Versace is credited with introducing the Oroton, a gold metallic mesh that simulated gold and silver and was used to create Gianni’s most important dresses of the 90s era. His suits were inspired by his experience with the tailoring for women, highlighting feminine attributes, while in its line for men, it was in charge of projecting the male figure as a sexual symbol.
Gianni Versace was known for his relationship with graphic design in the 90s, which celebrated fashion publications and pop icons. From this relationship, the brand’s most famous prints were born, such as the collection of Marilyn Monroe and Vogue prints., presented on the catwalk alongside pieces of solid and vivid colors that made Versace one of the regular houses in color-blocking.
The house founded by Gianni became the symbol of challenging design of the moment, Versace‘s creations were the result of a review of the aesthetics of bondage and notes of eroticism, with which the designer sought to give women back the possession of their body. Versace’s fall 1992 collection marked an aesthetic milestone for the brand with the introduction of corsets, chains and leather, which later became symbols of Versace’s ability to transform fetish elements into luxurious evening dresses.
Drama was key to the success of Versace’s designs, opulence predominated in gold designs and prints that converged baroque art with animaliers, making the Italian brand a celebration of excess that gave a new concept of femininity in The time. 1994 marked a milestone in Versace’s collections, it was in their spring ’94 show where their iconic dresses were introduced that linked revealing cuts using gold safety pins, an element that remains latent in the house today.
Where did Gianni Versace live?
Gianni Versace lived until he was 26 in Reggio Calabria, his hometown, and then moved to Milan to pursue his career as a fashion designer. After establishing his brand and it becoming successful, the designer showed great interest in purchasing properties, which he transformed to his liking in the style of Versace. One of the designer’s most famous properties is Villa Casa Casuarina, Gianni’s mansion in Miami, Florida (where he lived with his partner Antonio D’Amico). Also known as the Versace mansion, it was acquired in 1992 at the height of the Miami Beach real estate boom. The villa was purchased for $10 million and renovated in the designer’s style. In 2000, after Versace’s death, the property was sold for $125 million and was converted into a boutique hot
Designer Gianni Versace‘s luxurious properties were just as famous as his fashion brand. Two years before his death, the designer acquired a $7.5 million property on New York’s Upper East Side, which was later sold in 2005 along with everything it contained in an auction that included paintings by Picasso and Lichtenstein, the apartment It was sold for 30 million dollars. Gianni Versace also had an apartment in Milan, which still belongs to the family and is frequently used for events.
Also read: What do you need to be a fashion designer?
What did Gianni Versace die from?
Gianni Versace died at the age of 50 on July 15, 1997 in Miami, Florida. The designer was murdered by an admirer, Andrew Cunanan, while returning from a newspaper walk on Ocean Drive. Gianni’s remains were cremated and taken to Italy, where he remains in the family mausoleum in the Moltrasio cemetery, near Lake Como. Versace‘s funeral took place in Milan Cathedral, also known as the Duomo di Milano. . More than 2,000 people attended the ceremony, including great personalities such as Naomi Campbell, Anna Wintour, Elton John, Karl Lagerfeld, Giorgio Armani, Carla Bruni, Valentino Garavani, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and even Princess Diana.
After the death of Gianni Versace, his brother Santo took the position of CEO of the fashion house, while Donatella Versace assumed the position of creative director. In his will, the designer left 50% of the shares of the fashion empire to his niece Allegra Versace, valued to date at $500 million. Along with his brother Daniel, she also inherited the designer’s art collection.
What is the name of the television series that was inspired by the life of Gianni Versace?
The series inspired by the life of Gianni Versace is The Assassination of Gianni Versace (2018), it is the second season of the FX television series American Crime Story directed by Ryan Murphy, now available on streaming platforms. The story revolves around the crime that took the designer’s life, based on the book Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in US History , by author Maureen Orth. In the series, the Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramírez plays the leading role of Gianni Versace , and the Spanish Penélope Cruz is his sister, Donatella. The Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin plays the character of Antonio D’Amico, the designer’s partner, and the American Darren Criss is Andrew Cunanan, Versace’s murderer.
Gianni Versace was the designer who gave life to a new aesthetic for fashion between the 70s and 90s, he brought his vision focused on the adoration of luxury and excess to a scene where sobriety reigned, his creations sought the empowerment of women. and the celebration of the male body, which undoubtedly had some of the best advice and successes to succeed in fashion. His designs became symbols of the Italian style, creating challenging pieces that became emblems of the Versace house , today considered some of the most important works of design of their time.
