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Gianni Versace
Statistics show that if you are a full or part-time member of the female sex, between the ages of 25 and 40, fabulously wealthy, stunningly svelte and a hard-core VH1 groupie, you are probably wearing Versace haute couture even as you scroll down this paragraph. Well, maybe not, but for wanna-be rock vixens, no other designer could bring you closer to center stage than Gianni Versace. The victim of a gun slaying on July 25, 1997 outside his villa in Miami, Gianni Versace was the king of fashion for the rock 'n roll set, a throne he occupied for almost 20 years.
Versace's kinetic, kaleidoscope prints, biker leathers and skinny silhouettes are designed for maximum attention grabbing. Jon Bon Jovi, Sting, Tina Turner, Madonna and the Artist Formerly Known as Prince all know that. Think of Liz Hurley's safety-pin gown. Or the catwalk two seasons back, where the designer paraded more animal prints than you'd see on an African safari. Flashy Versace draws limelight as surely as a vampire draws blood. Born in Reggio Calabria in 1946, Versace was nurtured on fashion; his mother was a couturier. 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 1972, his knits drew the attention of head-hunters at Genny and Callaghan. Complice hired him to design their leather and suede collections. In March 1978, Versace showed his first women's collection, following it up the next year with his men's debut. In 1982, Versace unleashed his fluid, metallic mesh garments on the fashion world. They have since become classics in a Versace repertory of jubilant vulgarity. It fulminates with florid colors, classical Greek and Roman motifs, and reams of gold.
A signature fine line between high and low art threads through all that is Versace. He designed stage costumes for pal Elton John's world tours as well as for opera, theatre and ballet. Today, the Versace siblings, Donatella and Santo head a rapidly expanding empire which encompasses several fragrances, a line of home furnishings called "Home Signature," the "Versus" and "Istante" labels, and the "Vanitas" series of coffee-table books. After Gianni's murder, his sister, muse and close collaborator Donatella took over the artistic direction of the label. At first this arrangement appeared to be a temporary solution, as young designers like Jeremy Scott and Raf Simons were reportedly approached about possible job opportunities. But Donatella turned out to be the only natural choice, as she grew into her role and started developing her own, ultra-glamorous, sleek and sexy style for a new -and subtler- generation of Versace vamps. "I don't think women should look trashy anymore--they should look refined and absolutely sophisticated", Italy's most famous blonde purred to the Herald Tribune after her lady-like fall/winter 2000-2001 Haute Couture collection.-- Clara
Gianni Versace
Via Gesł 12 20121
Milano, Italia
Tel: 39. 2. 76. 09. 31 Fax: 39. 2. 76. 021. 321
www.versace.com
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