Gianni Versace

Gianni Versace (Gianni Versace) - Italian fashion designer, who gave women around the world the opportunity to reveal themselves in dresses from the designer Fashion House. He always said that the same dress on Madonna and Princess Diana will look different. If the singer makes him sexy, then Lady Dee will look like a classic. Couturier's creativity was manifested not only in the creation of bold models of clothing, but also in the collections of dishes, furniture, smartphones, watches and perfumes.
After the death of the great designer, all his assets on the Versace label in the amount of 50% were transferred by will to his niece.

Biography

The son of the couple Versace Gianni was born December 2, 1946 in the old and picturesque place of Reggio di Calabria. This is a port city in southern Italy, in which the cultures of Greece, Byzantium, Spain, Albania, and France are mixed. The mother of the future couturier Francesca Olandeze Versace was professionally engaged in sewing clothes and kept the studio Francesca Versace Elle. The boy's father, Antonio Versace, was of noble blood, but his parents were impoverished, although they could give his son a good education. Antonio knew and loved music, was interested in art, read a lot.

Post-war Italy did not indulge its citizens with work and affluence. Mother had to work hard to feed her children, and father delivered household appliances for a small fee.

Hardworking Italians gradually went uphill, Francesca “made” a lot of wealthy clients, and Antonio became an economist and advised the aristocratic families of Italy.

Atelier childhood

The family raised another son Santo (Santo), born in 1944 and daughter Donatella (Donatella), born in 1956. All mother's love was given to the eldest son.

The youngest suffered from a lack of maternal warmth, attention and hugs. He grew up in the studio of Francesca Versace. Gianni was fascinated by the clothes designed by her mother, and the process of her creation. He kept on the heels behind Francesca. The boy remembered vivid memories from many hours of fitting and fitting fabrics on naked female bodies with a skilled mother's hand. He often dreamed that his mother would give him as much attention as her visitors.

Every morning, Gianni and Francesca got up at half-past seven, had breakfast and went to school and work. Their road passed by a brothel and the mother menacingly showed a fist to her son so that he would not dare to look towards the brothel. The boy obeyed and for the rest of his life for him the ideal of a woman was an innocent girl who could not be touched.

After classes, Gianni invariably came to his mother in the studio, where he watched her work for hours, absorbing all the subtleties and providing all possible assistance.

At 9 years old, the school principal called in the boy’s parents, noting the drawings of Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia Loren with lush breasts and in revealing evening toilets. Pthe teachers attributed to the student the presence of sexual interest in adult women, while he just wanted to create works of art, as Francesca did. At the same time, the child sewed his first outfit - a dress lined with velvet.

Gianni liked to draw and after graduation, he was enrolled in the Faculty of Architecture of the University, which he soon abandoned at the insistence of his mother. Francesca wanted her son to work with her and he did not resist. Until the age of 25, the young man lived the life of his mother, he bought fabrics and accessories, came up with new models and was constantly interested in fashion trends. The fame of a young and talented designer began to spread much further than his native city.

Invitation to Milan

In 1970, one wealthy and entrepreneurial businessman from Milan, Entso Nikozia, owner of the Florentine Flowers brand, invited the promising Gianni Versace to work.

Biography begins a new round. Pictures of dizzying success, drawn by the rich imagination of a young man, did not give him time to think. He buys a ticket and flies to Milan. In a big city, one can achieve recognition only if you give all your best, giving your beloved business not only time, but also your soul.

For several days, Gianni helped Enzo sweep away a new collection, the presentation of which was a great success. For this work, the young designer was awarded the first Volkswagen car without a top.

Versace comes up with collections on the go, he becomes a visiting assistant. Collaborates with the Santa Margherita store, Complice fashion house, popular clothing brands Genny, Mario Valentino and Callaghan. He was simply torn to pieces and the name of the fashion designer on clothing labels became a guarantee of quality and exclusivity. The designer did not get tired of giving birth to new ideas and styles, making money and fame for her partners, but began to dream of her own Fashion House.

Creation of the Versace brand

In 1976, Santo moved to Milan and helped Gianni open his own business, taking on all financial issues and entrusting his younger brother with the creative side of the matter. The brothers create their own company, giving it the name "Gianni Versace S.p.A."

March 28, 1978 in the palace of Palazzo della Permanente the world demonstrated the 1st collection by Gianni Versace. Critics subsequently wrote that those sitting in the immediate ranks had to wear black glasses so as not to go blind from the sparkle on the podium. In the same year, Versace Fashion House was created, which later became the standard of style and freedom.

Gianni chose the head of the Medusa Gorgon, a symbol of design decisions, whose hypnotic look he considered a harbinger of fame, luxury and victory.

In 1979, fashion designer Gianni Versace presented the first boutique in Milan's Via della Spiga and launched a new line of men's clothing.

In 1981, the brothers invited Donatella to help, she takes on public relations, promotions, photography and the image of the organization.

Since the 80s, the Versace brand has become recognizable throughout the world. Designer clothes shock by the frankness and courage of the cut. She opens her legs, shoulders and back, showing the beauty of the female body. Star clients of Versace Fashion House are: Princess Diana of Wales, flamboyant singer Madonna, actress Charlize Theron, singer Elton John, musician Sting and other celebrities.

Gradually, the number of boutiques with single-brand clothing around the world exceeded one hundred, and family incomes reached a billionth amount. Versace experimented a lot, combining incongruous, using laser splicing of seams and computer patterns on clothes.

In 1981, the Versace family released a female chypre floral fragrance "Gianni Versace", and in 1986 created a fragrance for men - "L'Homme".

The creative nature of Gianni did not calm down on this either. Soon the world is presented with a collection of dishes and exclusive furniture from the Versace house, developed together with Rosenthal and Versace Home. Gianni Versace advertised photos of a new line of business widely and expensively.

In 1994, the watch brand Gianni Versace was released.

The fashion designer creates costumes for many productions, including: the television series “Miami Police: Moral Department”, Richard Strauss's ballet “The Legend of Joseph”, composer Gaetano Donizetti’s opera Don Pasquale and others. Versace Gianni perceived films and theatrical productions as his brainchild, he participated in the development of costumes thoughtfully, pondering every detail.

The designer is interested in the world of painting and begins to invest in works of art and antiques. He has a large collection of paintings by expensive artists, including works by Pablo Picasso (Picasso Pablo), Marc Chagall (Marc Chagall), Vasily Kandinsky (Kandinsky Wassily).

Gianni Versace and his lover

The shocking Italian fashion designer became famous for his love of a beautiful life. He had no financial constraints and spent as much as he wanted and where he wanted to. Because of this his character traits in the Versace family repeatedly raged comic scandals.

Despite the fact that Gianni was surrounded by naked women from birth, his relationship with the female sex did not work out. He was homosexual and did not hide his unconventional orientation.

He often indulged in joys with young fashion models, one of whom was Paul Beck, the future husband of Donatella. Gianni and Donatella Versace did not communicate for a year due to the fact that Paul left Gianni for Donatella.

The constant companion and lover of the couturier was Antonio D'Amico (Antonio De Amico), the developer of the Versace sports line. Gianni appointed him to run Istane stores and very rarely parted with his partner. Sometimes they took with them some handsome man from models or from a gay club and had three of them. Versace always generously paid for his pleasures and everyone was happy.

At the time of Gianni's death, his friend was 38 years old. According to the published will of the billionaire, he received the right to life for any of his villas and a monthly maintenance of $ 29,000.

Children of the Versace family

Gianni Versace's personal life was viewed through the prism of Donatella's family happiness. In the absence of her own heirs, her children were his children too. Donatella from the fashion model Paul Beck June 30, 1986 was born a daughter Allegra Versace Beck (Allegra Versace Beck).

Uncle adored the girl as his own child, spent a lot of money on her, took with him to exhibitions and shows, called him his little princess. Once a couturier admitted in another interview with the press that he loves to talk with Allegra, because only she tells him the truth about her mother.

Despite her uncle's great affection for his niece, it was unexpected for the girl to learn that, according to her last will, Gianni had left her all his fortune and 50% of the shares of Versace’s house.

In 1989, Donatella had a son, Daniel Beck, and at the age of 8 he inherited his collection of paintings from his uncle who was killed.

The children of Santo Francesca and Antonio couturier left nothing after death. He preferred one child in the family and the girl became the only woman in the Versace family, to whom Gianni could open his heart and give all his wealth.

Murder

South Beach (South Beach) is a city of nightlife. On the morning of July 15, 1997, its streets seemed deserted and quiet, and a clear sky foreshadowed a fine day. At about half past eight in the villa Versace came her master. He started the morning as usual, had breakfast and went to buy the latest press at News Cafe. In the cafe, Gianni drank a cup of coffee and bought many magazines: People, The New Yorker, Vogue, Entertainment Weekly, Spanish Newsweek. The purchase cost fifteen and a few dollars.

With a leisurely step, he went back along the most bohemian street in Miami - Ocean Drive. The designer was already near his chic Casa Casuarina mansion when he was overtaken by a man dressed in dark-colored shorts and a light T-shirt. A stranger had a baseball cap on his head, and tennis shoes on his feet. So dress all idle revelers in the city.

Gianni Versace did not expect death. He climbed the steps to the gate of the villa, inserted the key into the iron door and wanted to open it. The man who followed him suddenly brought up a weapon to the designer’s head and fired. Gianni fell on the pink steps of the mansion. The killer shot one more time in the head of the fallen victim, stepped off the steps, put the gun in his shoulder bag and headed down the Ocean Drive. There, the man closed in a red pickup truck stolen from a guard at the Chevrolet cemetery (1995), changed his clothes, and, leaving the car, left on foot.

The shots near the house alarmed the fashion designer’s friend and lover, Antonio De Amico, who was there. He ran out into the street and screamed when he saw his partner in a pool of blood. The ambulance called up delivered Versace to Jackson Memorial Hospital Miami, but the victim could no longer be saved. He died on the operating table at the age of 50.

The famous designer went everywhere with bodyguards and only near his own house allowed himself to walk alone. Here was waiting for his serial killer and homosexual who earned prostitution - Andrew Phillip Cunanan (Andrew Phillip Kunenen).

Antonio saw the killer moving away from home and the police arrived along with the ambulance. However, they managed to catch Kunenen only after 8 days. He committed suicide from the same gun with which he shot the designer. FBI officers found a dying letter stating that Versace ruined his involvement in sexual minorities. It seemed unusual to the police that, at the time of the suicide, Andrew turned out to be couturier lingerie.

The fashion designer was buried near Lake Como, in the garden of the four-story yellow Villa Fontanelle mansion. When the villa of Gianni Versace was sold to businessman Arkady Anatolyevich Novikov, the remains of the designer were reburied in Milan.

The farewell ceremony was organized at the Duomo di Milano (Milan Cathedral). The funeral of Gianni Versace gathered more than 2000 people, among them: musician Elton John, model and actress Naomi Campbell, wife of D. Kennedy Jr. - Carolyn Jeanne Bessette-Kennedy, Princess Diana of Wales, fashion designer Giorgio Armani (Giorgio Armani) and other celebrities.

Versions

The murder case is officially closed, but there are too many blind spots, ranging from the causes of the assassination to the identity of the person who killed Gianni Versace. How, for example, did Kyunenen manage to go unnoticed in the most exclusive area of ​​Miami for a long time if a man had already been put on the national wanted list by the FBI leadership for murders committed earlier?

The acquaintances of the mysterious killer described him as an outgoing and educated person, he spoke 7 languages, but at the same time he was a drug dealer and was a lover of wealthy men of non-traditional sexual orientation. How could a homosexual kill such an individual for his penchant for same-sex sex?

• According to one version, Andrew met Versace earlier (they were seen together at the premiere of Capriccio in San Francisco). And Künenen, being sure that he was infected with AIDS, killed all his possible partners one after another for three months.
• Another version involves contract killings by couturier's relatives. Versace bequeathed his unthinkable state to his beloved niece Allegra, but not all close people were satisfied with such a decision. All financial issues of the world brand were managed by the sister of fashion designer Donatella and his brother Santo.

• One private detective, Frank Monte, claims that Versace was “ordered” by the mafia. He talked about the fact that a few months before the murder, the couturier asked the detective agency to conduct an investigation. Gianni suspected organized crime was laundering money through his business. And this was partially confirmed by some discovered facts. Versace's sister Gianni paid a huge amount of money to remove from the investigation materials all references to their family’s involvement in the mafia.
• According to another, absolutely fantastic version, it is assumed that Gianni Versace did not die, but staged his own murder. The face of the murdered was disfigured beyond recognition, and the sales of Versace collections went up at a tremendous speed.

By the way, the face of the killer himself was also unrecognizable after he shot himself in the head. The police found him and kept the siege of the house on the water for 14 hours, where the killer was hiding. And no one heard the shot! When the corpse was carried out, for some reason it was frozen. Fingerprint identification lasted 10 hours, after which the Versace murder case was successfully closed. The next version suggests a development of events in which Künenen did not commit these crimes at all. Perhaps they were made on his behalf.

Difficulties of the brand Gianni Versace

The death of his brother passed the management of the Gianni Versace brand into the hands of Donatella. She changed her name to Versace and a year later created the first collection of clothes, released without the participation of Gianni.

The audience accepted it without much enthusiasm, sales began to fall. The sister did not try to copy the style of her brother, but tried to maintain the style of Versace's house.

The recovery in sales was only visible by 2000, when Jennifer Lopez came in Versace attire at the Grammy Awards.

• In 2003, Donatella, instead of expensive performances, conducts less costly displays.
• In 2004the youth line Versus, developed by Donatella, is closed by her due to lack of funds. In 2009, the line was restarted again.
• In 2006, Gianni Versace S.p.A. and Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. began a joint project to produce the Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640 Roadster Versace.
• In 2010, Versace Unique smartphones were introduced to the world.
• In 2011, the Italian football club Internazionale Milano Football Club received a new form from the famous brand.
• In 2012, Atelier Versace Haute Joaillerie exclusive jewelry was shown, available on request only.

Donatella discovered another area of ​​activity, starting to engage in the opening of Versace hotels. This is the palace in the Emirates (Palazzo Versace Residences Dubai) and the hotel in Dubai (Palazzo Versace Dubai).

The memory of Gianni Versace

In 2001, viewers saw the first biographical documentary film “Fashion Victim: The Killing of Gianni Versace” directed by James Kent. She tells about one of the incredible and mysterious crimes of the twentieth century and the failed work of the American intelligence services, which could be carried out by the killer Gianni Versace.

In 2002, director Claudio Barbati made a documentary, “A” (“Gianni Versace: A Desire for Beauty”), which becomes a tribute to the world-famous fashion designer. The script describes the enchanting work of an exalted fashion designer and includes fragments of an interview with N. Campbell, D. Versace, photographer Bruce Weber and others.

In 2007, at the La Scala Theater, Maurice Bejart presented the ballet Grazie Gianni Con Amore (Thanks, Gianni, With Love), dedicated to the 10th anniversary of Versace’s death. For many years, the fashion designer and the French choreographer were friends and the couturier repeatedly sewed costumes for the director's work. The premiere was represented by the best world dancers. Some of the outfits for them were invented by Donatella Versace, the other part was Gianni Versace costumes.

In 2010, the book “Gianni Versace: La Biografia” (“Gianni Versace: Biography”) was published, which describes the milestones of the designer’s life and work. Its author was a journalist from Italy, Tony di Corsia (Tony di Corcia).

In 2011, the Wall Street Journal's book, Deborah Ball (Deborah Ball), House of Versace: The Untold Story of Genius, Murder, and Survival, was published.

And in 2013, America’s television channel Lifetime presented a feature film-biography of Canadian director Sarah Sugarman called “House of Versace” based on the publication of D. Ball. The main character of the picture is Donatella, who did not let her brother’s business drift, but raised him to a new level despite all the cruel laws of Italian fashion. The American actress Gina Gershon starred in her role. The role of the designer is played by Canadian Enrico Colantoni.

At the same time, the same television channel is publishing a documentary “Versace: Beyond the Headlines” (“Versace: what is hidden behind the headlines”).

Interesting Facts

• In 1996, Gianni Versace was diagnosed with cancer of the inner earbut he managed to defeat the disease.
• Santo, Gianni and Donatella had another sister, it is rarely mentioned in official sources. She was born third in the family and her name was Florentina. The girl died at the age of 12.
• It was the couturier who introduced the concept of “top model”, starting to allocate favorites from their girls and paying them triple fees for the evening of the show.

• Versace presented dresses and other clothes from the new collections every time with a special chic. He turned his shows into fantastic shows and organized more than 60 such productions using special musical accompaniment.
• The house of Gianni Versace, in which he was shot, was purchased for himself by the Beckham couple.
• Gianni admitted in an interview that when he created his outfits, he thought of those prostitutes on whom his mother forbade him to watch as a child. He reintroduces mini skirts and designs the unimaginably deep neckline.

Quotes

1. My law is not to argue with the wind, he knows where he is blowing, but we, stylists, only need to determine his direction precisely.
2. Do not go deep into trends. Do not let fashion take hold of you, decide for yourself who you are, what you want to express with your clothes and lifestyle.
3. Man’s clothes, like his soul, are one and only, and a woman is an innocent angel, and not a fruit for sinful pleasures.
4. "Medusa symbolizes the beauty and fatal spell of ancient ancient Greek classics, both in art and in philosophy, it is a synthesis of beauty and simplicity, which literally paralyzes and even hypnotizes."
5. "Fashion does not stand still, but clothes remain unchanged!"
6. "Time flies fast, we are only sparks that want to shine as bright as possible before they fade away in the wind, clothes are glitter."
7. In the past, aristocrats were born. Today, aristocracy is acquired by deeds.
8. “In work, it is necessary to maintain patience, to show equal respect for everyone with whom you come across. No matter what stage of the social ladder this or that person is. ”
9. “High fashion is the only art form that uses technological processes in its development, but at the same time remains itself.”
10. “If you see a woman wearing VERSACE clothes, know that she has a lover. Or she often has sex! ”

Watch the video: Who was Gianni Versace's killer, Andrew Cunanan: Part 1 (December 2024).