Gianni versace wife

Gianni Versace

Italian fashion designer (–)

This article is about the fashion designer.

  • Designer versace first name
  • Fashion designer versace biography wife
  • Designer versace crossword

    • For his company, see Versace.

    Giovanni Maria "Gianni" Versace (Italian:[dʒoˈvannimaˈriːaˈdʒanniverˈsaːtʃe];[a] 2 December – 15 July ) was an Italian fashion designer, socialite and businessman. He was the founder of Versace, an international luxury-fashion house that produces accessories, fragrances, make-up, home furnishings and clothes.

    He also designed costumes for theatre and films. As a friend of Eric Clapton, Princess Diana, Whitney Houston, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Madonna, Elton John, Tupac Shakur, Joan Collins and many other celebrities, he was one of the first designers to link fashion to the music world.[4] He and his partner Antonio D'Amico were regulars on the international party scene.[5] The place where he was born and raised, Reggio di Calabria, greatly influenced his career.

    On 15 July , he was murdered outside his Miami Beach mansion, Casa Casuarina, by serial killer Andrew Cunanan.[6][7][8][9]

    Early life

    Giovanni Maria Versace was born in the city of Reggio Calabria on 2 December and grew up with his elder brother Santo Versace and younger sister Donatella Versace, along with their father and dressmaker mother, Francesca.[10] An older sister, Tina, died at age 12 because of an improperly treated tetanus infection.[11]

    Versace was strongly influenced by ancient Greek history, which dominates the historical landscape of his birthplace.

    He attended Liceo Classico Tommaso Campanella, where he studied Latin and ancient Greek, without completing the course. He was also influenced by Andy Warhol.[12]

    Versace began his apprenticeship at a young age at his mother's sewing business, which employed up to a dozen seamstresses.[10] He became interested in architecture before moving to Milan at the age of 26 to work in fashion design.

    In , he became the designer of "Byblos", a successful Genny's youthful line, and in , he designed Complice, another, more experimental, line for Genny.[13] 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.[14] His first fashion show followed in September of the same year.

    His first boutique was opened in Milan's Via della Spiga in [15]

    Fashion empire

    After opening his Milan boutique in , Versace quickly became a sensation on the international fashion scene. His designs employed vivid colors, bold prints and sexy cuts, which were a refreshing contrast to the prevailing taste for muted colors and simplicity.

    His aesthetic, which "combined luxurious classicism with overt sexuality", attracted much criticism in addition to praise.[16] He is quoted as saying, "I don't believe in good taste", which was reflected in his "brazen defiance of the rules of fashion".[16] A saying referencing Versace's rivalry with Giorgio Armani was: "Armani dresses the wife, Versace dresses the mistress."[17]

    Gianni Versace often drew inspiration from historical periods like Classicism, Byzantium, the 18th century, and the s and s.

    His designs reimagined elements such as Ravenna's mosaics and Roman drapery, incorporating them into contemporary fashion.[18]

    From , Versace built the company with the support of his family, employing his sister Donatella as vice president and his brother Santo as president of the company.[19] Donatella's purview extended to creative oversight, where she acted as a key consultant to Versace.

    Blue pixie Versace in This article is about the fashion designer. An exhibition celebrating the major themes of Gianni Versace's career in high fashion took place at The Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art from December 11, to March 22, Retrieved 1 March

    Gianni would also come to employ Donatella's husband, Paul Beck, as menswear director.[20]

    Among Versace's most famous innovations was his invention of a type of super-light chainmail called 'Oroton', which became a signature material in his outfits. His suits were inspired more by his experience in female tailoring, departing from masculine Savile Row models by crafting suits that accentuated the male form and "insisted on men as sex objects".[21]

    Versace was very proud of his southern Italian heritage and infused his designs with motifs inspired by historical fashion and art movements, especially Graeco-Roman art.[20] This is evident in the company's logo, the Medusa Head, and recurring motifs such as the Greek key.

    He also allowed his love for contemporary art to inspire his work, creating graphic prints based on the art of Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol.[16]

    Versace’s work was deeply influenced by art, from Gustav Klimt, Robert Delaunay, and Alexander Calder to Andy Warhol and Jim Dine. He often collaborated with contemporary artists and used their works as motifs in his designs.

    For example, one of his collections featured dresses inspired by Warhol's portraits of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean.[18] Versace also drew inspiration from Pablo Picasso, and his appreciation for the artist extended beyond his fashion creations. He was an avid art collector and owned several works by Picasso.

    Fashion designer versace biography death Giacomo Torelli. From a young age, Versace loved playing in his mother's workroom, where he made puppets from scraps of cloth. In , Versace was awarded the Maschera D'Argento prize for his contributions to theater. Designers have always looked to the street; he looked to the streetwalker.

    Following his death, 25 pieces from his personal Picasso collection were auctioned, showcasing his deep connection to the artist.[22][23]

    In , Versace expanded the business into jewelry and housewares, designing luxury furnishings, china and textiles for the home. He was unusual in retaining complete creative control over all aspects of his company.[24] In and '85, he contributed a specially appointed Gianni Versace Edition to the Mark VII line of American luxury automaker Lincoln.[25][26] In , the firm expanded into haute couture with the launch of Atelier Versace.

    Versace became known for employing celebrities in his marketing campaigns and seating them in the front rows of his fashion shows, the first to do so. He is also credited with inventing the supermodel vogue of the s, by discovering and featuring major supermodels such as Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista, all of whom he featured both on the runway and in advertisement campaigns.[17]

    At the time of his death, Versace's empire was valued at $ million and included boutiques across the world.[20]

    Stage designs

    Throughout his career, Versace was a prolific costume designer for stage productions and performing artists.[27] He stated, "for me the theatre is liberation", and his designs were well served by his penchant for bold colors, drapery, embellishment, and an encyclopedic knowledge of fashion history.[16] He was a collaborator at the La Scala Theatre Ballet in Milan and designed the costumes for the Strauss ballet Josephslegende in and Donizetti's Don Pasquale.[16] He also designed the costumes for five Béjart Ballet productions: Dionysos (), Leda and the Swan (), Malraux ou la Métamorphoses des Dieux (), Chaka Zulu () and the Ballet du XXme Siècle.[16][27] In , he designed the costumes for the San Francisco Opera's production of Capriccio.[28] Versace designed Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney on their "Say Say Say" video and Elton John's costumes for his The One Tour.[16]

    Personal life

    Versace met his partner Antonio D'Amico, a model, in Their relationship lasted until Versace's murder.

    During this time, Versace was diagnosed with ear cancer.[29][30] He was declared cancer free six months before he was murdered.[31]

    Versace was known for adoration towards his nieces and nephews: Santo's two children, Francesca and Antonio, and Donatella's two children, Allegra and Daniel.[29]

    Death

    "Assassination of Gianni Versace" redirects here.

    For the series based on this murder, see The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.

    On the morning of 15 July , Versace exited his mansion and walked on Ocean Drive to retrieve his morning magazines. Usually, Versace would have an assistant walk from his home to the nearby News Cafe to get his magazines, but on this occasion he decided to go himself.

    Versace had returned and was climbing the steps of his Miami Beach mansion when a man dressed in a 20/21 Sheffield United Away Shirt, black shorts, a white hat, and carrying a backpack shot him in the head at point-blank range with a caliber Taurus PT[32] Versace was pronounced dead at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, at &#;a.m.

    He was 50 years old at the time of his death. Versace's murder was witnessed by his former UK senior stylist, Dean Aslett, who was on vacation in South Beach, Miami, and had partied with Versace a few days prior.[33]

    Versace was the last victim of Andrew Cunanan, a serial killer[34] who had earlier murdered four other men (including real estate developer Lee Miglin).

    Cunanan died by suicide on a houseboat eight days after Versace's murder.[35][36]

    Cunanan was obsessed with the designer and often bragged about his close "friendship" with Versace, although this was symptomatic of Cunanan's delusions of grandeur: he often falsely claimed to have met celebrities.[37] However, FBI agents firmly believe that Versace and Cunanan had previously met in San Francisco, although what their relationship entailed is still a mystery.[38]Maureen Orth published a article in Vanity Fair reporting that Cunanan and Versace had met briefly at a San Francisco nightclub in (according to several eyewitness claims) and that they could have interacted on further occasions because both were involved in sex-for-hire circles in Miami and San Francisco.[37][39] However, Versace's family has always steadfastly denied that the two ever met.[37] Police have said that they do not know why Versace was killed.

    "I don't know that we are ever going to know the answers", said Miami Beach Police Chief Richard Barreto.[40]

    Memorial

    Versace's body was cremated and his ashes returned to the family's estate near Cernobbio and buried in the family vault at Moltrasio cemetery near Lake Como.

    Versace's funeral liturgy, held at Milan Cathedral, was attended by over 2, people, including Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Naomi Campbell, Elton John, and Diana, Princess of Wales, who was killed in a car accident a little over a month later.[41][42]

    Legacy

    In September , the estate announced that Versace's brother, Santo, would serve as the new CEO of Gianni Versace S.p.A.

    while Versace's sister, Donatella, would become the new head of design.

    In his will, Versace left 50% of his fashion empire to his niece, Allegra Versace. She and her younger brother, Daniel, inherited Versace's rare artwork collection. Allegra inherited her stake, worth approximately $ million, when she turned 18 in [30][43]

    Filmography

    Versace was involved in numerous film projects.[44]

    Actor

    • Spice World () – Scenes were deleted because of his death before the premiere
    • Catwalk (a released documentary filmed in )
    • VH1 Fashion and Music Awards (, film)
    • Look (, television show)[44]

    Costume designer, costume and wardrobe

    • A Life Less Swagy (, film) – costumes provider
    • Ballet for Selena (, ballet)
    • VH1 Fashion Awards (, television) – wardrobe
    • The Pled (, film)
    • John Baylor Time (, film) – special thanks
    • Shakespeare Shorts (, TV series)
    • Judge Dredd (, film)
    • Magic of David Copperfield XVI: Unexplained Forces (, television) – costume designer
    • Showgirls (, film) – other[b]
    • To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything!

      Julie Newmar () – special thanks

    • Kika (, film) – costume designer
    • Born Yesterday (, film) – wardrobe
    • Cin Cin, also known as A Fine Romance (, film) – costumes
    • Once Upon a Crime (, film) – wardrobe
    • Vacanze di Natale, also known as Christmas Vacations (, film)
    • Crystal or Ash, Fire or Wind, as Long as It's Love (, film) – costumes
    • 24 Nights (, concert film) – wardrobe
    • Hard to Kill (, film) – wardrobe
    • Miami Vice (, TV series)

    Production designer

    Awards and tributes

    • Versace was awarded the American Fashion Oscar on 1 February at the council's annual awards ceremony.[46][47]
    • President of the Italian Republic Francesco Cossiga conferred the decoration of Commendatore della Repubblica Italiana on him on 24 January
    • Elton John dedicated his album The Big Picture to Versace.
    • In July , a specially written ballet was performed in La Scala, Milan to mark the 10th anniversary of the fashion designer's death.

      Thanks Gianni, With Love was put together by French choreographer Maurice Béjart, for whom Versace designed many stage costumes.

    • In , the Russian Versace fan club was founded. There are 1, members (July ). The fan club is known for its lectures, excursions and actions dedicated to Gianni Versace. The staff of the club is situated in St.

      Petersburg, Russia.

    • He received the America Award in memory from the Italy–USA Foundation in [48]

    In popular culture

    • The second season of the American drama series American Crime Story is subtitled The Assassination of Gianni Versace and revolves around the lead-up to and aftermath of Versace's assassination.

      Versace is played by Venezuelan actor Édgar Ramírez.[49]

    • In an episode of the Irish sitcom Father Ted, one of the main characters, Fr Dougal McGuire, refers to Versace's death by saying, "God, Ted, do you remember that fella who was so good at fashion they had to shoot him?"
    • Eminem makes references to Versace's murder and his homosexuality in the song "Criminal" (the closing song on his album The Marshall Mathers LP) through the lyrics "Hey, it's me, Versace!

      Whoops, somebody shot me! And I was just checkin' the mail. Get it? Checkin' the male?"

    Notes

    References

    1. ^Vogue (31 January ), 73 Questions With Donatella Versace | Vogue, retrieved 2 March
    2. ^"You've probably been pronouncing 'Versace' wrong, according to Donatella".

      Harper's Bazaar. 2 February Retrieved 2 March

    3. ^Bruno Mars (13 August ), Bruno Mars – Versace On The Floor [Official Video], retrieved 2 March
    4. ^Horyn, Cathy (6 October ). "Why Fashion Films Are Usually Cartoons". The New York Times. p.&#; Archived from the original on 23 November Retrieved 14 June
    5. ^Mulvagh, Jane (15 July ).

      "Obituary: Gianni Versace". The Independent.

    6. ^Gibson, Dirk C. (). Serial Murder and Media Circuses. Greenwood Publishing Group. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
    7. ^"This Day in History: July Gianni Versace Killed". Maxim. July Archived from the original on 18 March
    8. ^Smith, Tyler Stoddard ().

      Whore Stories: A Revealing History of the World's Oldest Profession. Adams Media. p.&#; ISBN&#;.

    9. ^"".
    10. ^ abBall, Deborah (). House of Versace: The Untold Story of Genius, Murder, and Survival. Crown. pp.&#;27, 31– ISBN&#;.
    11. ^The New Yorker.

      F-R Publishing Corporation. 15 July &#; via Google Books.

    12. ^"How Warhol's Work Influenced Our Wardrobes". BBC News. 27 April
    13. ^Gross, Michael (11 March ). "A portrait of Jenny". New York Magazine. pp.&#;18– Retrieved 4 September
    14. ^Deeny, Godfrey (18 February ).

      "Remembering Gianni Versace: 20 years after the designer's death, we celebrate his enduring legacy". The Telegraph. ISSN&#; Archived from the original on 11 January Retrieved 27 September

    15. ^Roberts, Paul G. (). Masters of Fashion Vol 35 Heels Part 1. Fashion Industry Broadcast. ISBN&#;.
    16. ^ abcdefg"Gianni Versace".

      V&A Museum. 17 October Retrieved 29 January

    17. ^ abBilyaeu, Nancy (15 January ).

    18. Gianni versace partner
    19. Gianni versace designs
    20. Donatella versace full name
    21. Donatella versace net worth

      22. "The True Story of Gianni Versace's Murder". Town & Country Magazine. Retrieved 29 January

    22. ^ abMartin, Richard (Richard Harrison) (). Gianni Versace. Internet Archive. New York&#;: The Metropolitan Museum of Art&#;: Distributed by H.N.

      Abrams. ISBN&#;.

    23. ^Kautz, Justin. "Donatella Versace". Encyclopaedia Britannica.

      Designer versace first name: Fashion empire [ edit ]. Gianni Versace's work was both metaphorical opera and real clothing, the first in its larger-than-life exuberance and design bravura and the latter in its unpretentious, practical application to the comfort of the wearer and the expressiveness of the body. Gianakaris, Constantine John. In his ready-to-wear line, many of his clothes reflected those needed for dance, allowing unrestricted movement.

      Retrieved 8 February

    24. ^ abcSpindler, Amy M. (16 July ). "Obituary: Gianni Versace, 50, the Designer Who Infused Fashion With Life and Art". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 January
    25. ^"Gianni Versace".

      V&A Museum. 17 October Retrieved 29 January

    26. ^"Gianni Versace Jewelry: A Story of Luxury and Opulent Style". DSF Antique Jewelry. Retrieved 19 December
    27. ^"Versace's Picassos Sold - CBS News". . 7 December Retrieved 19 December
    28. ^Davis, Daniel ().

      Versace. p.&#;

    29. ^Lincoln Division, Ford Motor Company (1 August ). Continental Mark VII, Continental, Lincoln Town Car. USA. p.&#; Retrieved 12 June : CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
    30. ^Lincoln Division, Ford Motor Company (1 August ). Continental Mark VII, Continental, Lincoln Town Car.

      USA. p.&#; Retrieved 12 June : CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

    31. ^ ab"Gianni Versace". American Ballet Theatre. Archived from the original on 24 October Retrieved 29 January
    32. ^Fashion Staff (19 October ).

      "Versace Has Designs on 'Capriccio'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 8 February

    33. ^ abLevy, Ariel (). "Summer for the Sun Queen". New York. Retrieved 24 June
    34. ^ abCunningham, Jennifer (19 June ).

      "Is there a Versace in the house?; Allegra Beck; Aged 11, she watched TV reports flash up news that her beloved uncle, Gianni Versace, had been shot. Now she stands to inherit a 50% share of the Versace empire. But who is this girl with the power at her fingertips?". The Herald. Plymouth, England. Archived from the original on 25 February Retrieved 2 November &#; via HighBeam Research.

    35. ^"Gianni Versace Was One of the First Designers to Invite Celebs to Fashion Shows".

      Harper's BAZAAR. 4 January Retrieved 28 October

    36. ^Lecayo, Richard (21 June ). "Tagged for Murder".

      Fashion designer versace biography Notes [ edit ]. His suits were inspired more by his experience in female tailoring, departing from masculine Savile Row models by crafting suits that accentuated the male form and "insisted on men as sex objects". In , the film The Fortune of Friendshipwas shown. Never formally trained in fashion design, Versace studied architectural drafting at the Reggio Calabria technical school while working for his mother as a part-time buyer.

      Time. New York City. Archived from the original on 3 October Retrieved 2 March

    37. ^Janofsky, Michael (25 July ). "Suspect's Suicide Brings Relief and Normality (Published )". The New York Times. ISSN&#; Retrieved 14 December
    38. ^"".
    39. ^"FBI – Serial Killers, Part&#;6: Andrew Cunanan murders a fashion icon".

      FBI. Archived from the original on 2 July

    40. ^Michael H. Stone & Gary Brucato. The New Evil: Understanding the Emergence of Modern Violent Crime (Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books, ), pp. 99–
    41. ^ abcOrth, Maureen (5 August ). "The Killer's Trail".

      Vanity Fair. Retrieved 25 January

    42. ^"Time magazine article". Time. 24 June Archived from the original on 29 September Retrieved 1 March
    43. ^Miller, Julie (17 January ). "Versace: The truth about Gianni Versace and Andrew Cunanan's relationship". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 24 January
    44. ^"Cunanan: More questions than answers".

      CNN. 25 July Retrieved 29 June

    45. ^Wilson, Scott. Resting Places: The burial sites of more than 14, famous persons (3rd&#;ed.). McFarland & Company, Inc. (Kindle Edition). Kindle Location
    46. ^Hallemann, Caroline (22 January ). "Here's what Gianni Versace's funeral was really like".

      Town & Country Magazine. Retrieved 29 January

    47. ^Pisa, Nick (7 December ). "Versace murdered because of debts to Mafia". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January Retrieved 7 December
    48. ^ ab"Movies and TV: Gianni Versaci: Filmography".

      Movies & TV Dept.

      Fashion designer versace biography wikipedia Retrieved 14 December Retrieved 2 March Giamatti, A. Versace became known for employing celebrities in his marketing campaigns and seating them in the front rows of his fashion shows, the first to do so.

      The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 November Retrieved 11 April

    49. ^Fitzpatrick, Erin (16 July ). "You've Been Pronouncing Versace All Wrong". Who What Wear. Retrieved 27 June
    50. ^"Gianni Versace". Biography. July Retrieved 12 May
    51. ^"Who Was Gianni Versace?

      Fashion Designer's Life and Death Chronicled in FX's 'American Crime Story'". Newsweek. 15 January Retrieved 12 May

    52. ^"America Award ". 12 October
    53. ^Goldberg, Lesley (20 March ). "Penelope Cruz to Star in 'Versace: American Crime Story'". The Hollywood Reporter.

      Retrieved 20 March

    External links