Gianni Versace

Giovanni "Gianni" Versace (Reggio Calabria, December 2, 1946 – Miami Beach, July 15, 1997) was a charismatic and accomplished Italian designer of clothing and theater costumes. more...

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He was influenced by Andy Warhol and modern abstract art; and considered one of the most colourful and talented designers of the late 20th century.

Early life

Gianni,his brother Santo andhis sister Donatella were all brought up in Reggio Calabria in Italy, by their father and dressmaker mother, Francesca.When Gianni was young,he began his apprenticeship,he used to help his mother find gold braid and precious stones to embroider dresses.At the age of 25 he moved to Milan to work in fashion design,up untill then he studied architecture.In the mid-Seventies, his knits attracted people and drew the attention of head-hunters at Genny(fashion house) and Callaghan(fashion house).he was hired by Complice to design their suede and their leather collections.After a few years Gianni beacme confident,and both encourged and inspired by his success he presented his first signature collection for women at the Palazzo della Permanente Art Museum of Milan.In the same year he presented his first menswear collection.

Life and career

Versace considered himself a tailor, rather than a designer. The Versace look of the young, aggressive and sexy woman is well-known. He liked to create sexy clothes for his women, skin-tight with low cuts and high slits on the skirts. Versace was among the first to revive the cat suit, to bring back the mini skirt, to show tights worn as trousers, to bring the bustier out at night and bead it. In 1982 his dresses made with fine metal mesh first appeared and were a hit.

In less than 10 years, Versace built an empire worth $808 million. He used celebrities, including Madonna, Jon Bon Jovi, Naomi Campbell, Tina Turner, and even Tupac Shakur as models for both the runway and print ads. He was one of the first Italian designers to hire world-class photographers such as Richard Avedon to photograph his advertising campaigns, also using the top fashion models for these ads. Versace has been referred to as the rock-and-roll designer and clients include Phil Collins, Bruce Springsteen, George Michael, Eric Clapton, Elton John, and Michael Jackson. He also made clothes for Diana, Princess of Wales and Caroline, Princess of Hanover.

In 1982, Versace opened a new chapter in his career, making costumes for the theatre, opera and ballet. He began a close collaboration with choreographer Maurice Bejart. He went on to design accessories, jewelery, furnishings, and china. He was also hired as a costume designer on the TV series Miami Vice. This led to his relocation to Miami Beach.

Some of Gianni Versace's best known clients included: Jeremy Irons, Sting, Mickey Rourke, Jeff Bridges, and k. d. lang.

Read more at Wikipedia.org