Gianni Versace is an Italian fashion designer who gave women all over the world the opportunity to reveal themselves in outfits from the designer fashion house. He always said that the same dress would look different on Madonna and Princess Diana. If the singer makes it sexy, then Lady Di will look like a classic. The couturier's creativity was manifested not only in the creation of bold clothing models, but also in collections of dishes, furniture, smartphones, watches and perfumes.
After the death of the great designer, all of his assets in the Versace label in the amount of 50% were transferred by will to his niece.
The son of the Versace couple, Gianni, was born on December 2, 1946 in the ancient and picturesque town of Reggio di Calabria. This is a port city in southern Italy, where the cultures of Greece, Byzantium, Spain, Albania, and France are mixed. The mother of the future couturier Francesca Olandeze Versace was a professional tailor and ran the Francesca Versace Elle atelier. The boy's father, Antonio Versace, was of noble blood, but his parents became poor, although they were able to give their son a good education. Antonio knew and loved music, was interested in art, and read a lot.
Post-war Italy did not pamper its citizens with work and prosperity. The mother had to work hard to feed the children, and the father delivered household appliances for a small fee.
For the hardworking Italians, things gradually went uphill, Francesca “earned” many wealthy clients, and Antonio became an economist and advised Italy.
Childhood spent in the studio
The family raised another son, Santo, born in 1944, and a daughter, Donatella, born in 1956. All the mother's love was given to her eldest son.
The youngest suffered from a lack of maternal warmth, attention and hugs. He grew up in Francesca Versace's atelier. Gianni was fascinated by the clothes her mother designed and the process of creating them. He always followed on the heels of Francesca. The boy has vivid memories of many hours of fitting and adjusting fabrics on naked female bodies with his mother’s skillful hand. He often dreamed that his mother would show him as much attention as she did to her visitors.
Every morning Gianni and Francesca got up at half past eight, had breakfast and went to school and work. Their road passed by a brothel and the mother threateningly showed her fist to her son so that he would not dare look in the direction of the brothel. The boy obeyed and for the rest of his life, his ideal woman became an innocent girl who could not be touched.
After classes, Gianni invariably came to his mother in the atelier, where he spent hours watching her work, absorbing all the subtleties and providing all possible assistance.
At the age of 9, the school director called the boy’s parents to see him, noticing his drawings of (Gina Lollobrigida) and (Sophia Loren) with magnificent breasts and in revealing evening dresses. The teachers attributed to the student the presence of sexual interest in adult women, at a time when he simply 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 graduating from school he was enrolled in the university's Faculty of Architecture, 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 purchased fabrics and accessories, came up with new models and was constantly interested in fashion trends. The fame of the young and talented designer began to spread much further than his hometown.
Invitation to Milan
In 1970, a wealthy and enterprising businessman from Entso Nikozia, owner of the Florentine Flowers brand, invites the promising Gianni Versace to work.
Biography begins new round. The pictures of dizzying success painted by the young man’s rich imagination did not give him time to think. He buys a ticket and flies to Milan. In a big city, you can achieve recognition only if you give it your all, devoting not only your time, but also your soul to your favorite business.
Within a few days, Gianni helped Enzo sweep away the new collection, the presentation of which took place with great success. For this work, the young designer was awarded the first Volkswagen car without a top.
Versace comes up with collections on the fly, he becomes a traveling assistant. Collaborates with the Santa Margherita store, the Complice fashion house, and popular clothing brands Genny, Mario Valentino and Callaghan. It was simply torn into pieces and the name of the fashion designer on clothing labels became a guarantee of quality and exclusivity. The fashion designer never tired of creating new ideas and styles, earning money and fame for his partners, but he began to dream of his own fashion house.
Creation of the Versace brand
In 1976, Santo moved to Milan and helped Gianni open his own business, taking over all financial issues and entrusting younger brother the creative side of things. The brothers create their own company, giving it the name “Gianni Versace S.p.A.”
On March 28, 1978, at the Palazzo della Permanente, the first collection from Gianni Versace was demonstrated to the world. Critics later wrote that those sitting in the closest rows had to wear black glasses so as not to be blinded by the glare on the podium. In the same year, the Versace Fashion House was created, which later became the standard of style and freedom.
As a symbol of his design decisions, Gianni chose the head of the Gorgon Medusa, whose hypnotic gaze he considered a harbinger of fame, luxury and victory.
In 1979, fashion designer Gianni Versace presented his first boutique in Milan's Via della Spiga district and launched a new line of men's clothing.
Since the 80s, the Versace brand has become recognizable throughout the world. Designer clothing shocks with its frankness and boldness of cut. She opens her legs, shoulders and back, showing the beauty of the female body. The famous clients of the Versace Fashion House are: Princess Diana of Wales, outrageous singer Madonna, actress Charlize Theron, singer Elton John, musician Sting and other celebrities.
Gradually, the number of boutiques with mono-brand clothing around the world exceeded a hundred, and the family’s income reached a billion dollars. Versace experimented a lot, combining the incongruous, using laser welding of seams and computer patterns on clothes.
In 1981, the Versace family released the women's floral-chypre fragrance "Gianni Versace", and in 1986 they created a fragrance for men - "L'Homme".
Gianni’s creative nature did not rest on this either. Soon the world will be presented with a collection of tableware and exclusive furniture from the house of Versace, developed together with Rosenthal and Versace Home. Gianni Versace advertised the photo of his new line of activity widely and expensively.
The designer creates costumes for many productions, including: the television series “Miami Vice,” the ballet “The Legend of Joseph” by Richard Strauss, the opera “Don Pasquale” by composer Gaetano Donizetti and others. Versace Gianni perceived films and theatrical productions as his brainchild; he participated in the development of costumes thoughtfully, considering every detail.
The fashion designer becomes 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 Pablo, Marc Chagall, and Wassily Kandinsky.
Gianni Versace and his lover
The flamboyant Italian fashion designer became famous for his love of the beautiful life. He had no restrictions financially and he spent as much as he wanted and where he wanted. Because of this character trait, serious scandals repeatedly broke out in the Versace family.
Despite the fact that Gianni was surrounded by naked women from birth, his relationship with the female sex never developed. He was a homosexual and did not hide his gay orientation.
He often indulged in pleasures with young models, one of whom was Paul Beck, future husband Donatella. Gianni and Donatella Versace did not communicate for a whole year due to the fact that Paul left Gianni for Donatella.
Antonio D'Amico, developer of the Versace sports line, became the couturier's constant companion and lover. Gianni appointed him to manage the Istane stores and rarely separated from his partner. Sometimes they took with them some handsome guy from a model or from a gay club and the three of them had fun. Versace always paid generously for his pleasures and everyone was happy.
At the time of Gianni's death, his friend was 38 years old. According to the billionaire's published will, he received the right to lifelong residence in 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 their own heirs, her children were his children too. Donatella gave birth to a daughter, Allegra Versace Beck, from fashion model Paul Beck on June 30, 1986.
The uncle adored the girl as if he were his own child, spent a lot of money on her, took her with him to exhibitions and shows, and called her his little princess. One day, the 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 the uncle’s great affection for his niece, it was unexpected for the girl to learn that, according to his last will, Gianni left her his entire fortune and 50% of the shares of the Versace house.
In 1989, Donatella gave birth to a son, Daniel Beck, and at the age of 8 he inherited his collection of paintings from his murdered uncle.
The couturier left nothing to the children of Santo Francesca and Antonio after his death. He gave preference to 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 is a city of nightlife. On the morning of July 15, 1997, its streets seemed deserted and quiet, and the clear sky foreshadowed a fine day. At about half past eight, its owner came out of the Versace villa. He started the morning as usual, had breakfast and went to buy the latest newspapers at the News Cafe. In the cafe, Gianni drank a cup of coffee and bought many magazines: “People”, “The New Yorker”, “Vogue”, “Entertainment Weekly”, the Spanish “Newsweek”. The purchase cost a little over fifteen dollars.
At a leisurely pace, he walked back along the most bohemian street in Miami - Ocean Drive. The fashion designer was already near his luxurious mansion “Casa Casuarina” when he was overtaken by a man dressed in dark shorts and a light T-shirt. The stranger had a baseball cap on his head and tennis shoes on his feet. This is how all the idle revelers in the city dress.
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 stood up after him suddenly raised a weapon to the designer’s head and fired. Gianni fell onto the pink steps of the mansion. The killer shot the fallen victim one more time in the head, walked down the steps, put the gun in his backpack and headed down Ocean Drive. There, the man locked himself in a red Chevrolet pick-up truck stolen from a cemetery watchman, changed his clothes, abandoned the car and left on foot.
Shots near the house alarmed the fashion designer's friend and lover, Antonio De Amico, who was there. He ran outside and screamed when he saw his partner in a pool of blood. An ambulance was called and took 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 walked everywhere with bodyguards and only close own home I allowed myself to walk alone. Here he was waiting for him Serial killer and a homosexual who made money through prostitution - Andrew Phillip Cunanan (Andrew Phillip Cunanan).
Antonio saw the killer moving away from the house and the police arrived along with an ambulance. However, Cunanan was caught only after 8 days. He committed suicide with the same pistol he used to shoot the designer. The FBI found a suicide letter that said Versace was ruined by his involvement in sexual minorities. The police found it unusual that Andrew was wearing couture underwear at the time of his suicide.
The fashion designer was buried near, in the garden of the four-story yellow mansion “Villa Fontanelle”. When Gianni Versace's villa was sold to businessman Arkady Anatolyevich Novikov, the designer's remains were reburied in Milan.
A solemn farewell ceremony was organized at the Duomo di Milano (Milan Cathedral). The funeral of Gianni Versace attracted more than 2,000 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 still too many blank spots in it, from the reasons for the assassination attempt to the identity of who killed Gianni Versace. How, for example, Cunanan managed for a long time to be unnoticed in the most exclusive area of Miami, if the man had already been put on the national wanted list by the FBI for previous murders?
Acquaintances of the mysterious killer described him as a sociable and educated person, he spoke 7 languages, but at the same time he sold drugs and was the lover of rich men of non-traditional sexual orientation. How could a homosexual kill a similar individual for his penchant for same-sex sex?
- According to one version, Andrew met with Versace earlier(they were seen together at the premiere of the opera "Capriccio" in San Francisco). And Cunanan, convinced that he was infected with AIDS, killed all his possible partners one by one over the course of three months.
- Another version suggests a contract killing by Couturier’s relatives. Versace bequeathed his incredible fortune to his beloved niece Allegra, but not all close people were satisfied with this decision. Everyone financial matters the global brand was run by the fashion designer's sister Donatella and his brother Santo.
- One private detective, Frank Monte, claims that Versace “ordered” it. He said that a few months before the murder, the couturier asked a detective agency to conduct an investigation. Gianni suspected that 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 have all references to their family's involvement in the mafia removed from the investigation materials.
- According to another, completely fantastic version, it is assumed that Gianni Versace did not die, but staged his own murder. The face of the murdered man was disfigured beyond recognition, and sales of Versace collections went up at 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 for 14 hours laid siege to the house on the water where the killer was hiding. And no one heard the shot! When the body was taken out, for some reason it turned out to be frozen. Fingerprint identification lasted 10 hours, after which the Versace murder case was successfully closed. The next version assumes a development of events in which Cunanan did not commit these crimes at all. Perhaps they were made on his behalf.
Difficulties of the Gianni Versace brand
The death of her brother transferred control of the Gianni Versace brand into the hands of Donatella. She changed the name to Versace and a year later created the first clothing collection released without Gianni's participation.
The public accepted it without much enthusiasm, and sales began to fall. The sister did not try to copy her brother's style, but tried to maintain the style of the Versace house.
A recovery in sales began only in 2000, when Jennifer Lopez wore Versace to the Grammy Awards.
- In 2003, Donatella held less expensive shows instead of expensive performances.
- In 2004, the Versus youth line, developed by Donatella, was closed by her due to lack of Money. In 2009, the line was restarted again.
- In 2006, Gianni Versace S.p.A. and Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. are starting 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 uniform from the famous brand.
- In 2012 there was a show of exclusive jewelry Atelier Versace Haute Joaillerie, available to order only.
Donatella discovered another area of activity for herself, starting to open Versace hotels. This is a palace in the Emirates (Palazzo Versace Residences Dubai) and a hotel in Dubai ().
Memory of Gianni Versace
In 2001, viewers saw the first biographical documentary film “Victim of Fashion. The Killing of Gianni Versace" (“Fashion Victim: The Killing of Gianni Versace”) directed by James Kent. It tells the story of one of the incredible and mysterious crimes of the twentieth century and the failed work of the American intelligence services, which the killer Gianni Versace was able to carry out.
In 2002, director Claudio Barbati made the documentary “A” (“Gianni Versace: A Desire for Beauty”), which becomes a tribute to the world-famous fashion designer. The script describes the enchanting creativity of the exalted fashion designer and includes fragments of interviews 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” (“Thank you, 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 works. The premiere was presented by the world's best ballerinas. Some of the outfits for them were designed by Donatella Versace, the other part were costumes by Gianni Versace.
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 Corcia.
In 2011, Wall Street Journal journalist Deborah Ball's book "House of Versace: The Untold Story of Genius, Murder, and Survival" was published.
And in 2013, the American television channel Lifetime presented a feature film biography of Canadian director Sarah Sugarman called “House of Versace”, based on the publication by D. Ball. The main heroine of the film is Donatella, who did not let her brother’s case go to chance, but raised it to the occasion. new level against all odds cruel laws Italian fashion. 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 TV channel is releasing a documentary film “Versace: Beyond the Headlines”.
- In 1996, Gianni Versace was diagnosed with inner ear cancer., but he managed to overcome 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 single out favorites from his girls and paying them triple fees for the evening of the show.
- Every time Versace presented dresses and other clothes from new collections with special chic. He turned his shows into fantastic shows and organized more than 60 such productions, using special musical accompaniment.
- Gianni Versace's house, where he was shot, was purchased by the Beckhams.
- Gianni admitted in an interview that when he created his outfits, he thought about those prostitutes whom his mother forbade him to look at as a child. He reintroduced miniskirts into fashion and designed incredibly deep necklines.
Quotes
- My law is not to argue with the wind, it knows which way it blows, but we, stylists, must only accurately determine its direction.
- Don't get caught up in trends. Don't let fashion take over you, decide for yourself who you are, what you want to express through your clothes and lifestyle.
- A person’s clothes, like his soul, are one and only, and a woman is an innocent angel, and not a fruit for sinful pleasures.
- “Medusa symbolizes the beauty and fatal charms of the ancient Greek classics, both in art and philosophy, it is a synthesis of beauty and simplicity that literally paralyzes and even hypnotizes.”
- “Fashion does not stand still, but clothes remain unchanged!”
- “Time flies quickly, we are just sparks that want to shine as brightly as possible before they fade in the wind, clothes are glitter.”
- In the past, aristocrats were born. Nowadays, aristocracy is acquired through deeds.
- “When working, you need to be patient and show equal respect to everyone you encounter. Regardless of what level of the social ladder this or that person is on.”
- "High-fashion - the only kind art that uses technological processes in its development, but at the same time remains itself.”
- “If you see a woman wearing “VERSACE” clothes, know that she has a lover. Or she has sex often!”
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The talented young man began his Milan career by working for the famous Italian fashion houses Genny, Callaghan and Complice. He was already 25 years old and was full of ambitious plans for the future. In 1994 these early works famous fashion designer will be included in a retrospective exhibition at the Berlin Museum of Art and Crafts, dedicated to the 47-year-old trendsetter. No one imagined then that Gianni Versace had only three years to live...
Gianni Versace was born on December 2, 1946 in Reggio di Calabria, Italy. His mother Francesca was a professional dressmaker and always took little Gianni with her to work. Apparently, these first childhood impressions of the costume department and countless dresses later determined the path of the great master of fashion. Gianni himself, recalling his first years, said: “I think that I owe my skill and professionalism to my mother.”
The talented young man began his Milan career by working for the famous Italian fashion houses Genny, Callaghan and Complice. He was already 25 years old and was full of ambitious plans for the future. In 1994, these early works of the famous fashion designer will be included in a retrospective exhibition at the Berlin Museum of Art and Crafts, dedicated to the 47-year-old trendsetter. No one imagined then that Gianni Versace had only three years to live...
But let's go back to the 70s. Inspired by his first collections, Gianni created his own fashion house Gianni Versace in 1978, inviting his closest relatives - brother Sancho and sister Donatella - to the posts of presidents. A year later, he presented his first collection under his own label in Milan, earning enthusiastic applause from the sophisticated Italian public, who immediately fell in love with Versace’s style.
No matter how paradoxical it sounds, but chanting eternal femininity and angelic beauty Beautiful Woman, Gianni never possessed her. He never hid the fact that he was homosexual and lived with a man. Perhaps all the exquisite outfits he created were dedicated to his mother, whose image remained in his memory as a sublime and pure ideal, as unattainable as it was beautiful. Many women admitted that wearing couturier dresses they felt like Queens. Who knows how many more magnificent and fabulous dresses the brilliant artist would have created for his imaginary angel of purity, if not for an unfortunate coincidence...
On that fateful morning of July 15, 1997, Gianni Versace was at his villa in Miami Beach and went out to buy the latest magazines. Only here did he allow himself this unaffordable luxury - to walk the streets alone, without security. He was already returning back when a shot suddenly rang out, untimely ending the life of the 50-year-old fashion designer. FBI agents easily identified the killer and his location. But they were late. Andrew Cunanan shot himself with the same gun he used to kill Gianni. Ironically, Andrew was wearing Versace underwear...
Name: Gianni Versace
Age: 50 years
Activity: fashion designer, designer, founder of the Gianni Versace fashion house
Family status: wasn't married
Gianni Versace: biography
The biography of Gianni Versace, an outstanding fashion designer from Italy, is similar to fairy tale story. A boy from a poor family turned out to be capable of a miracle: Versace became not only one of the most famous couturiers, but also a real trendsetter of fashion and style. Unfortunately, not everything in the master’s fate was as easy and cloudless as his career.
Childhood and youth
The future fashion designer was born on December 2, 1946 in the small town of Reggio de Calibria, in southern Italy. The boy's parents owned a clothing store, which brought income to the family. From an early age, little Versace helped her mother hang out outfits and select accessories for them. Gianni was delighted to see how seemingly insignificant details changed the look of an entire outfit.
There were three children in the Versace family: Gianni had a brother, Santo, and a sister, Donatella. The mother's adoration was given to the eldest son, but Gianni constantly suffered due to lack of maternal attention. The boy tried to fill this emptiness with the minutes spent with his mother in the family shop. Soon Gianni knew how not only to hang clothes neatly, but also began to understand the peculiarities of cut and fabrics.
In addition to dresses, young Gianni Versace was attracted to drawing. Parents even predicted a career as an architect for their son. The young man, after graduating from school, entered college, the Faculty of Architecture, but soon realized that this specialty would not bring creative satisfaction. In addition, Gianni's mother insisted that her son help work in the family store. So Gianni dropped out of college and focused on helping his mother.
Fashion and design
Until the age of 25, Gianni Versace worked in the family store. The young man constantly came up with new images, helped customers select sets of clothes and learned the intricacies of a fashion designer’s craft. It is not surprising that the name of the young designer soon became known to the city's fashionistas.
Feeling confident in his own abilities, Gianni Versace goes to Milan, the capital of Italian fashion. There, Versace was lucky enough to get a job with three famous fashion designers at once. Soon Gianni becomes indispensable fashion shows: a young man travels around Italy, organizes shows and helps employers prepare collections.
Gaining experience, Gianni began to dream of opening his own fashion house, and also to think over a collection of clothes, which he decided to present to the world in the spring of 1978. This debut instantly made the designer famous: the collection was received with delight by both the capital's fashionistas and biased critics.
In the same year, Gianni Versace registered trademark on given name and inaugurated the first store. Santo and . came to help his brother.
Fashion house
The emblem of the Versace fashion house is the head of the Gorgon Medusa. The fact is that Gianni was interested in ancient mythology, and considered the Gorgon a symbol of bewitching, unconditional beauty. Now this emblem is recognizable even by people far from the world of fashion.
Already in 1979, immediately following the debut women's collection, Versace released a line of clothing for men. The premiere show was brilliant, the designer gained many fans, as well as interest and respect from his fashion colleagues.
In the 1980s, shows of the Versace fashion house took place one after another. Each collection became a sensation: Gianni was not afraid to experiment with cut, preferring revealing and bright outfits that did not hide the beauty of the female and male body.
Soon Versace brand clothing becomes a cult. The brilliant master's clients include many other celebrities.
At the same time, Gianni Versace opens his own brand stores in different countries peace. Success, like the designer’s income, endlessly strives upward, and photos from the artist’s shows capture the covers of fashion magazines.
Gianni Versace decides not to stop there, and after some time the first fragrance is released under a recognizable label. It was Gianni Versace women's perfume. Following them, the men's perfume “L ̛ Homme” appeared. Since then, the fashion house of Gianni Versace has released many fragrances, but these first perfumes still remain relevant.
In the 1990s, the fashion designer again expanded the horizons of his own company. Under the Gianni Versace brand, dishes, furniture, jewelry and even cars begin to be produced. Each new product is greeted with a bang by fans of the master, each time confirming the proverb that talented people are able to show themselves in any activity.
Personal life
There is an opinion that Gianni Versace's personal life was influenced by childhood trauma. The fact is that on the way to school the boy had to pass by a brothel. The strict mother constantly scolded Gianni if he accidentally turned his head towards this establishment. Since then, the fear of seeing a naked woman has been ingrained in Gianni's head. And even though Versace later connected his life with creating clothes for women, relationships with ladies frightened the fashion designer.
Be that as it may, Gianni Versace’s personal life, despite the great master’s unconventional orientation, turned out happily.
The fashion designer's first serious romance, however, ended in a breakup. A young fashion model named Paul Black chose his own sister Donatella over his lover. After this incident, the brother and sister did not communicate more than a year, and Paul soon became Donatella's husband.
Gianni Versace and Antonio d'Amico The second love story lasted until the end of Gianni Versace's life. The designer's chosen one was Antonio d'Amico, head of the sportswear department of the Versace fashion house. It is also known that Gianni and Antonio periodically rested together, choosing one of their favorite models. However, such bold entertainment did not affect the relationship of the lovers.
Death
It seemed happy life The fashion designer's career will last for many more years, but fate decreed otherwise. On July 15, 1997, Gianni Versace was killed directly on the porch of his own home in Miami.
The murder was committed by serial killer Andrew Cunanan. It is known that the criminal turned out to be homosexual and made his living by prostitution. The cause of death of Gianni Versace was called a gunshot wound: the fashion designer died due to two accurate shots in the head.
On this day, only Antonio d'Amico was in the house with Gianni, who called the police. The killer, or rather his body, was found eight days later: the man shot himself. In his suicide note, Andrew Cunanan wrote that he killed Gianni Versace “as a banner of homosexuality "
The death of the fashion designer was immediately surrounded by rumors and speculation. According to one version, members of the Gianni Versace family ordered the murder. On the other hand, she had a hand in the crime Italian mafia. There were even suggestions that the emblem of the Versace fashion house, the Gorgon Medusa, which allegedly brought trouble, was to blame for what happened.
Not a single guess has received official confirmation, and the murder of Gianni Versace is still called one of the mysteries of the 20th century.
After the funeral of the master to lead fashion house became Donatella Versace. Gianni's companion, Antonio, according to the will, received the right to live in any of the villas owned by Versace, as well as a generous monthly allowance.
Memory
- 1997 - Elton John's album “The Big Picture”, dedicated to Gianni Versace
- 2001 - documentary film “Victim of Fashion. The Assassination of Gianni Versace"
- 2013 - film “The House of Versace”
– perhaps the most famous designer and fashion designer in the world of high fashion.
Gianni Versace: biography
Gianni Versace was born on December 2, 1946 in southern Italy in the small town of Reggio Calabria. Father Antonio and mother Francesca had sufficient capital to raise their son. The head of the family was the owner of an electrical appliance store, and the mother ran her own tailoring studio, Francesca Versace Elle. In addition to Gianni himself, the family had two more children - the older brother Santo and the younger sister, born in 1956, Donatella.
His childhood years passed without clouds, but according to the designer himself, the feeling that his parents did not love him did not leave him, giving all the love and affection to his eldest son. Since the age of 12, Gianni constantly goes to his mother’s work and helps her select fabrics, goes shopping, and takes orders from clients. As soon as Gianni graduated from school, he left for the capital in order to enter the Faculty of Architecture, but soon realized that he was not interested in this activity and returned at the age of 18 back to his mother to help her work in the studio.
Her mother’s fashion atelier required constant study of the fashion industry market, so Gianni quite often at this time had to travel to fashion presentations in Paris, Milan and London, purchasing new fabrics from the most famous designers. Active activities in this direction brought noticeable results; in 1972, Gianni received an offer to create a clothing collection for the company of Milanese entrepreneur Enzo Nicosia Florentine Flowers, which he undertook with great pleasure.
Gianni Versace: career
Since the mid-1970s of the last century, Gianni Versace has been collaborating with such famous brands as Genny, Mario Valentino, Callaghan and Complice, his popularity among the public is growing, critics are making fewer and fewer complaints about the young designer, and his success has practically made his name famous. In 1978, Gianni and his brother laid the foundations of a joint venture called Versace S.p.A, but the main event of this year was not this, but the show of the first collection of clothing for women, held in Milan. The clothing collection withstood all the critics' criticisms and was declared one of the best, which gave Versace a chance to open a fashion boutique on one of the main streets of Milan.
At this time, he began an active advertising campaign, which very soon made it possible to put the clothes he made on the same level as the greatest names in the history of fashion. The following people take part in the shows: famous models, like Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer.
Since 1981, Gianni Versace has been launching a perfume line parallel to his brand, the first scent of which was Gianni Versace, a women's perfume with a floral scent. Next year, Versace releases a new collection of women's clothing, Gianni Versace, made entirely of metal plates. Naturally, the collection was intended exclusively for the catwalk, but nevertheless caused a real sensation.
From the moment Anna Wintour became the general editor of Vogue magazine, a new milestone in Versace’s career began, his clothing models appeared not only on the pages of the magazine itself, but also quite often appeared on its cover, his name became famous in America.
Gianni Versace: Atelier Versace
In 1989, Gianni Versace presented a new clothing line, Atelier Versace, as well as a collection of women's clothing, Haute Couture, which he showed at Paris Fashion Week. The designer is invited to create clothes for the popular American TV series Miami Vice, after which the stars literally bombard him with invitations and requests to develop personal clothing models.
In the 1990s, Madonna, Tina Turner and Princess Diana herself were regular buyers of Versace clothing. In 1992, the designer moved to Miami, where two years later he began producing his own collection. wristwatch. At this time, the designer lives permanently in his own house in Miami at the Ocean Drive villa. He has written as many as 6 bestsellers, which have become very popular among fans of the designer’s work. It should be noted that Gianni Versace never married, since he was an open homosexual and did not hide his relationship with men from anyone.
At one time, the press even attributed connections to the mafia to the designer, but Gianni was able to clear his good name in court in 1994. The amount of compensation the fashion designer received was £100,000, which he spent on charity.
The Assassination of Gianni Versace
On July 17, 1997, Gianni Versace died, returning from the morning mail to his home, the famous fashion designer was shot with two bullets directly in the head, and died upon arrival at the hospital. The shooter turned out to be a homosexual with manic abilities, who had 4 more similar murders on his account.
The criminal was caught, but during his arrest he shot himself with the same pistol with which he killed Versace. More than 2 thousand people came to the funeral of the great fashion designer; among those who arrived were world-famous stars, politicians and film actors. Gianni Versace died at the age of 50, his ashes rest in Milan.
Shortly after his death in December 1997, an exhibition dedicated to creative path designer, it presented the most famous and great work designer.
In 2013, viewers of the American TV channel Lifetime had the opportunity to enjoy two films about Versace, one of which was a documentary. Feature Film talked about the House of Versace, his brother and sister Donatella, the documentary was called “Versace: What Lies Behind the Headlines” and was devoted to more speculation and mysteries that were present in the life of the designer.
The famous fashion designer was shot dead on July 15, 1997 on the threshold of his own luxurious villa in Miami. The killer was Andrew Cunanan, who left a strange note before shooting himself.
20 years have passed, and all the circumstances of the “crime of the century” have not been clarified, and many still do not believe the official version of the homosexual’s revenge for his ruined life.
Bloody body Gianni Versace discovered just a few minutes after the fatal shots by his lover, and part-time cook and housekeeper Antonio D'Amico. The famous designer received two bullets in the head and was dead. The police identified the killer in a matter of hours, but it took another week to catch him. I couldn’t take him alive - he shot himself. Cops found a note: "I killed Versace as a banner of homosexuality." But Andrew Cunanan not homophobic, he was gay himself.
While the police and FBI agents were knocked down, the killer did not leave anywhere, but was hiding in the same Miami in a floating hotel owned by the owner of a popular sauna for homosexuals. How this was possible if the criminal was put on the federal wanted list remains a mystery.
And before that, Andrew managed to follow the fashion designer unnoticed by the cops on one of the busiest streets in Miami - Ocean Drive, where Gianni's Casa Casuarina house is located. And how was he able to hide in Miami for two whole months after the first four murders? And who helped serial maniac driving hundreds of miles across several state roads in a conspicuous red van, evading police patrols, remains unknown.
Another mystery in this story is why all eight outdoor surveillance cameras around Versace's villa were turned off that morning and security was absent for the first time. Meanwhile the waitress Stephanie Vanover from the nearby News Cafe, where the fashion designer went every morning to drink coffee and read the newspaper, told Time reporters: a few days before his death, Gianni told her that he was being followed.
In the series "American Crime Story" (above is a poster depicting the main characters), the great fashion designer was played by Edgar RAMIREZ, and his boyfriend was played by singer RICKY MARTIN And both the cops and the FBI were hunting for Cunanan. The first two murders, one might say, went almost unnoticed. The victims were a childhood friend and a homosexual architect. But when Andrew dealt with a multimillionaire from Chicago, he was immediately included in the list of the most wanted criminals in the United States. However, this did not stop the villain from traveling from city to city, killing the caretaker at the cemetery and driving his Chevrolet van from New Jersey to Miami.
Surprisingly, within two days after the murder, Cunanan's fingerprints were not found on this car, parked near Versace's villa. Suddenly - lo and behold! - they were found in the most visible place - on the hood. In the same car, Andrew’s bloody clothes could not be seen for a long time. When evidence of his involvement was needed, it was immediately found either in the trunk or under the bottom.
After four murders, Andrew CUNANAN was put on the FBI's federal wanted list. The police believed that Cunanan dreamed of gaining worldwide fame thanks to the murder of Versace. Then why did he not wait for the trial, but committed suicide? And why didn’t any of the police who besieged the floating hotel for 14 hours hear the suicide shot? And why the hell was the killer's body found frozen?!
High class prostitute
Cunanan set off on a bloody three-month journey across the United States at the end of April 1997. Of the five who died at his hands, four were rich gays. Only the cemetery caretaker fell out of the clip - he fell at the hands of Andrew because of the car. Therefore, a version was immediately put forward: Cunanan chose victims from among himself. Maybe he was taking revenge on the rich for his failed life? But it’s hard to call him a loser. Are you able, like him, to spend $46 thousand on clothes in a couple of days? Andrew was well educated, spoke seven languages, and never refused anything from wealthy clients. He smoked the most expensive cigars, had hundreds of bottles of perfume and wore underwear from... Versace. Apparently, it was not for nothing that the fashion designer used to say: “I sew clothes for whores.” Mother was proud of her son: “Andrew was a prostitute upper class!»
Gianni VERSACE bought a villa on the party Ocean Drive in Miami for $6 million... What if one of the “darling’s” partners infected him with AIDS? The version of revenge was voiced by an FBI agent Robert K. Ressler. Owner of a large detective agency Frank Mont believes otherwise: Cunanan was simply used for their own purposes by the bosses of the shadow business. In his opinion, Andrew was deliberately lied to about a terrible diagnosis and set off on the wrong trail. The goal was to remove Versace. Shortly before his death, the great fashion designer announced that at the end of the summer he would hold a press conference where he would tell who was trying to use his business for illegal purposes. The fashion designer approached Mont with a request to conduct a very important investigation. After this, the fate of the obstinate was decided.
...and spent $32 million on reconstruction and luxurious furnishings Through the Versace Fashion House, Mont is sure, the mafia laundered dirty money. The legal turnover of more than 300 boutiques alone reached $2 billion a year. The new Russians also adored the flashy luxury of the couturier’s outfits. And the market was flooded with a colossal number of fakes. From their sale, streams of money flowed into the pockets of the godfathers. Gianni was only involved in creativity, organizing press conferences, and his brother Santo and sister Donatella were in charge of the finances. They turned a blind eye to unseemly deeds. Mont managed to find evidence of connections between the mafia and Italian fashion houses.
Not everything was in order in the Versace empire and with the payment of taxes. It is clear who was interested in eliminating the talkative witness. Competitors also wanted to get rid of their rival - Versace announced that he would soon begin producing inexpensive models available to the mass consumer.
The information collected allowed Mont to conclude: it was a contract killing. And the detective suspects many, including Versace’s closest relatives. Such cases have already happened in beauty empires. In 1995, the fashion designer Maurizio Gucci killed in Milan on the order of his wife - she did not agree with the company’s policy pursued by her husband. Why is Versace better than Gucci?
On these steps, a serial killer shot and killed a famous couturier Gianni's relatives categorically deny all accusations. But can they be trusted? Donatella and Santo have already lied on the witness stand. Both claimed that Gianni did not know his killer. Meanwhile, the interrogation protocol contains the words of several people who were present in 1990 at a meeting between Cunanan and the fashion designer at the Colossas club in San Francisco.
Do we know each other? - Gianni asked Andrew. - Lake Como, no? (The fashion designer had one of the villas there, where he spent time with Elton John, Madonna,George Michael.)
“I’m glad to meet you again, Mr. Versace,” Cunanan replied.
And there was another date - this time intimate, at the fashion designer’s villa in Miami a year before the murder. Their last meeting was fatal.
...Strikingly, on the evening after the murder, music and laughter sounded in all establishments near Casa Casuarina as if nothing had happened.
Bear in mind
- Versace was buried in the garden of his Villa Fontanella on Lake Como. After selling the estate to a restaurateur Arkady Novikov the fashion designer's ashes were transferred to Milan.
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