Versace Antonio. Gianni Versace biography, death, photo, personal life. The true face of love

Envious people accused him of being too revealing in his dresses, which he supposedly made for girls of easy virtue. But the ladies of that time loved him precisely for this. The extravagance of Versace's models caught the admiring glances of thousands of women, who had to wear sunglasses to the couturier's shows so as not to be blinded by the brilliance of each new collection. Perhaps the love of his fans killed him...

His death remains a mystery to historians to this day. But what is known for certain is that he was the greatest couturier of his time and created an empire that successfully competes with dozens of world fashion houses to this day.

“I think I owe my skill and professionalism to my mother.”

Gianni was born back in 1946 in one of the costume shops of the small provincial Italian town of Reggio Calabria. “There were dresses, dresses, dresses all around me.”“,” he said, recalling his first childhood years spent next to his mother, a professional dressmaker. Relations, however, did not develop well between them. “Francesca was generally indifferent to him, preferring Santo, her second son,”- neighbors of the Versace family recall. Gianni had the unenviable role of a little outcast: among many people, he grew up absolutely alone, wildly suffering from the alienation of the only woman close to him. But that is precisely why, deprived of maternal tenderness, little Gianni did not leave her a single step (when he came home from school, the boy spent all his free time in the atelier), followed her every step and dreamed of being in the place of any of the cutters...

“At least she looked at them, he recalled, I wasn't her favorite. More like a pillow into which she often stuck reproachful needles.”. Versace chose the most, in his opinion, the best place in the family atelier and could remain motionless for hours, watching the work that was in full swing around him. One day, returning to the store after school, he saw his mother taking measurements of a client - a beautiful young woman in lace underwear. Francesca had already been wrapping her body in black velvet for the second hour, pinning the folds with pins, carefully taking into account every little detail... The child stood a little further away, before his admiring gaze the half-naked body of the stranger was dressed in an amazing outfit, skillfully emphasizing her natural advantages and smoothing out her flaws. He remembered this moment for the rest of his life: “The sketches were like a cheat sheet for me - for memory. Thanks to my mother, I realized how important it is to work directly with the body in order to see and feel how the fabric lays, how it interacts with the lines of the female body.”

Every single day, Francesca and Gianni woke up around seven thirty in the morning, had breakfast and went to work. The morning road ran past a small brothel, which was located next to their studio. It must be said that this is not a pleasant sight for the sensitive child’s psyche! And therefore, approaching the den of debauchery, the mother, with an impressive fist for a woman, directly made it clear - not to look towards the house of “adult pleasures”. And the boy obediently turned away.

When Gianni was 9 years old, the school director, with a large stroke of the pen in his diary, called Francesca about Gianni’s most outrageous behavior: “You should spend more time raising your son. You have a real sexual maniac growing up!” And as “material evidence” he presented the drawings taken from Gianni. These were sketches. Drawn by a still timid, completely inept hand - the buxom silhouettes of Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia Loren in the cutest evening dresses, created by the boy specifically for their seductive forms.

But despite the concerns of the school principal, Gianni was not at all interested in the sexual secrets of the adult world. He perceived female silhouettes as models whom he wanted to “embrace” with fabulous outfits.

“It’s incredible how one phone call, one visit, can change a life.”

Time passed. Gianni continued to draw... He entered the Faculty of Architecture. Most likely, he would have ended his life in some cozy closet, designing another Italian eatery. But Francesca intervened. For the first time and so radically! She forced her son to become her full-fledged assistant in the studio. The son didn't say a word. At the age of 18, he dropped out of school and plunged headlong into creating clothes.

Actively working “four hands” with his mother, he did not forget to keep abreast of fashion trends, attending shows in Paris, London, Florence, and Rome. And he never tired of creating, which soon bore fruit: a wealthy Milanese businessman heard about the virtuoso talent of the young Versace. On a fine day in 1970, he appeared at the studio, offering Gianni a job from the doorway. The tailor, without a moment’s hesitation, bought a ticket and flew to Milan that same evening. “As soon as I was in Milan, - recalls Versace, - I realized that I had a chance to prove myself. And I started working."

He was in a hurry to live. Versace clearly understood that he had only one way out: to take himself by the collar and work hard. To work hard in Milan, where there were, let’s say, a lot of opportunities to prove himself: he imagined a picture of his own future empire - unlimited power and authority, money and influence.

Enzo Nicosia, owner of Florentine Flowers from Lucca, called Gianni as " ambulance» to create your new collection. The buyer became more and more demanding. From now on, he was interested in a big name, a powerful brand of the creator - as a guarantee of quality. The young Italian became such a unique sign of quality. There were rumors about his “test of writing”! One of the first collections was swept away in a matter of days. Versace turned into a “travelling couturier.” Factories literally tore him apart, filling him up advantageous offers. Conducting sleepless nights before the sketches, Gianni more and more often had to fight dreams of own independence. About your own successful business. However financial side things were not as flawless as the creative one.

One day, with a friendly visit from Francesca, his brother appeared on the threshold of his modest home. They sat in a small living room and, drinking light drinks, gossiped about each other's successful and not so successful affairs. Santo shared his impressive successes as a financier, Gianni shared his thoughts about possible and much-desired professional independence. Having finished another glass of martini with juice, Santo took a notepad from the inside pocket of his sports jacket and began to write something with enthusiasm. Without looking up from the paper, he counted and recounted something with the meticulousness inherited from his mother. In the morning my brother left. But about three months passed and Santo returned. With money. In 1976, he finally moved to Milan, and the brothers created the Gianni Versace brand, involving their sister Donatella in the business.

Gianni Versace in Milan.

Here and now. Absolute extravagance." Harper's Bazaar magazine, 1977 The Versace era began in July 1977. The designer perfectly knew how to capture the mood of the times - his luxurious style perfectly matched the stellar eighties. The master provoked the audience; everything with him was “too” - too bold or too bright. He offered clothes that delicately emphasized natural forms beautiful body. Balancing on the edge of kitsch, Gianni Versace managed to adapt an extreme youth style for a luxury-loving wealthy and capricious clientele. Discreet Londoners for a long time they did not accept the designer, considering him vulgar - too short and narrow skirts, too deep necklines, too high heels. Armani, who accused Gianni of wanting to turn high fashion into a pornographic show, was, by the way, not so far from the truth - Versace himself admitted more than once that his source of inspiration was often childhood memories of girls of easy virtue in his native town! The debut of the women's collection took place in March 1978. It was an absolute success. And behind the scenes, the couturier himself rushed between the goddesses-mannequins - straightening the “plumage”, tenderly hugging, pressing to his chest, blessing him with cries of ecstatic delight: “Bella! Bellissima! Piu bella." This is how it all began... Versace brought 16 of the best fashion models to the catwalk, paying them 10 thousand dollars a day. The luxury of his models worked magically. For his Fashion House, Gianni Versace chose the head of Medusa as a logo, the image of which has adorned all Versace models since 1978. Explaining his decision, he said: “This choice was made absolutely deliberately. Medusa symbolizes the beauty and fatal charms of ancient Greek classics - both in art and in philosophy. She is a synthesis of beauty and simplicity that literally paralyzes and even hypnotizes.” He dressed Princess Diana, the eccentric Madonna, Elton John, Sting, Elizabeth Hurley, Jon Bon Jovi. He created costumes for Maurice Béjart's ballets. When Gianni himself got down to business, it was completely impossible to resist! Especially when it comes to Chinese porcelain. When launching a line of tableware, Versace sent several boxes filled with porcelain to Sylvester Stallone himself. He filled his rooms with pillows and furniture fabrics, chests of various clothes worth thousands and thousands of dollars.

The same thing was repeated with Claudia Schiffer. “For such generous attention to their own persons, the first and second agreed with pleasure and absolutely free of charge to pose naked for magazines, covering themselves exclusively with square dishes from Versace.”, - recalled ex-girlfriend Stallone Janice Dickinson. From now on, the grown-up outcast boy, who became the great dictator of world fashion, could afford everything! He bought multi-storey buildings and huge villas. He published books, traveled, emptying antique stores... But, unfortunately, this did not last long. “We tried to give him first aid, but immediately realized that it was too late.”.

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. Around nine o'clock, when Versace approached the gates of his luxurious three-story house, shots were fired that took his life. The owner of a nearby store selling roller skates said: “We heard two shots. I saw people running. Gianni was lying on the steps. He was shot in the head." Passers-by saw Versace running from the house young man wearing a white T-shirt and gray shorts. These clothes were soon found in a parking lot near the crime scene. The killer changed his clothes and apparently took a taxi to escape. Police soon discovered the man was 27-year-old Andrew Cunanan. Investigators did not want to say what kind of connection Cunanan had with Versace, but according to one version, Andrew was unrequitedly in love with the couturier. A nationwide manhunt for the killer ended eight days later when Cunanan fatally shot himself on a pleasure boat just four kilometers from the scene of the tragedy. Ironically, Andrew was wearing Versace underwear... Currently, the Versace fashion house remains one of the most successful in its field. His sister placed complete control over him, both creatively and financially, on her fragile shoulders. former owner Donatella Versace. Among the friends and clients of this House are only the most successful and rich people: Madonna, Victoria and David Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow and many, many others. Donatella worthily succeeded her brilliant brother Gianni, whose mysterious death left no one indifferent.

Watch the film "Gianni Versace. Designer for the Mafia":

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 a trademark for 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 of the world. 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 for 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. 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. According to another, the Italian mafia had a hand in the crime. 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 master's funeral, Donatella Versace became the head of the fashion house. 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”

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.

The biography begins a 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 giving birth to new ideas and styles, earning money and fame for his partners, but he began to dream of own House fashion.

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 shocking with the frankness and boldness of the 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 beautiful life. He had no financial restrictions and spent as much as he wanted and wherever 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 went everywhere with bodyguards and only allowed himself to walk alone near his own home. Here the serial killer and homosexual who made money through prostitution, Andrew Phillip Cunanan, was waiting for him.

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, did Cunanan manage to remain undetected for a long time 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 sociable and educated person, he spoke 7 languages, but at the same time he sold drugs and was the lover of rich unconventional men 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. All financial issues of the global brand were managed 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 youth line Versus, developed by Donatella, was 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. 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 football club Italy Internazionale Milano Football Club received new uniform from a 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 contrary to all the cruel laws of Italian fashion. Starred in her role American actress Gina Gershon. 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

1. My law is not to argue with the wind, it knows which way it blows, but we, stylists, must only accurately determine its direction.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. “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.”
5. “Fashion does not stand still, but clothes remain unchanged!”
6. “Time flies quickly, we are just sparks that want to shine as brightly as possible before they fade in the wind, clothes are glitter.”
7. In the past, aristocrats were born. Nowadays, aristocracy is acquired through deeds.
8. “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.”
9. "High-fashion - the only kind art, which uses in its development technological processes, but at the same time remains himself.”
10. “If you see a woman wearing “VERSACE” clothes, know that she has a lover. Or she has sex often!”

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December 2 marks the 72nd birthday of one of the most famous Italian designers, Gianni Versace. His name became synonymous with the fashion of the eighties and it was to him that the world owed the emergence of the phenomenon of supermodels. the site rereads one of the most famous biographies designer "The Versace Myth", written by journalist Mini Castel, and recalls what Gianni Versace said about family, the fashion industry and himself.

"I am a tailor. When I came from Reggio Calabria to Milan, I had to forget everything I had learned from my mother, because here everything was different - both the environment and the sewing technology."

“In the seventies, I unleashed my rebellious spirit, I tried to find a way to connect completely different shapes and materials with each other in a way that no one had ever done before. At this time, contrasts first appeared in my fashion, later will be the key to all my collections."

"Why doesn't Milan love me? I work so hard, I try to make women even more beautiful and feminine, but there is no enthusiasm in the press."

“I remember how at the beginning of my career I was full of enthusiasm and it seemed to me that anything was possible: breaking the usual patterns, using different types of cuts, unimaginable materials, mixing everything.”

"I'm firmly on the side of short skirts - it's young, dynamic, free and modern. You don't have to go far: look what's happening this winter. Last season, only 30% of my Italian clients (traders) accepted my proposal. The rest were not so bold , but now they are forced to shorten their skirts, because women demand it.”

"We Italians are a restless people. We produce the most beautiful fabrics in the world and do not want to stop there."

“I like to be in contact with rock musicians, they carry the energy of time, which they charge you with. I am convinced that a designer’s creativity can have a huge positive influence on the electricity of Springsteen’s music or the tenderness of Sting’s music.”

"Vulgar? Perhaps I'm just bold. And bold people usually achieve excellent results."

Gianni Versace and models backstage at the Versace Couture 1992 show

About Versace and the fashion industry

“It’s funny to me when some fashion designers say that a fashion designer is not a tailor. It seems to me that everything is just the opposite: a real artist is one who creates everything with his own hands.”

“When it came time to choose a symbol, I remembered one ancient myth: whoever loves Medusa, there is no salvation for him. So why not assume that if Versace conquers someone, there will be no way back for him?”

"Why trousers? Because they're more modern, they're more 1980s. I wear them on everyone, even under women's skirts."

“The woman I dress is beautiful and seductive. I adore women. Armani’s clothes, on the contrary, create a less vibrant type of woman, a somewhat muted style. What is usually called “chic”. For my part, I don’t see any “chic” here ".

“When drawing this or that dress, never forget that it will be worn, it will be put on, it should be useful - the combination of usefulness and beauty is inseparable.”

“We all understand that a lot has to be sacrificed for that sparkle of sequins.”

"The idea for Atelier Versace was born out of a desire for freedom. In addition, I am driven by passion, the desire to direct my efforts in a new direction. It will be a laboratory of ideas, a place also open to new technological research."

“Stop calling my fashion sexy. I do not abandon the decorative period of my work, the “neo-baroque” stage, but I have turned the page. My work is truly Italian at its core, it grows from the brightness of colors and folk art. But in fashion you always have to go Go ahead, you shouldn’t be afraid to experiment.”

"Fashion designers, for the most part, live in an ivory tower. I, on the contrary, from my vantage point, carefully monitor what is happening in the world. I am trying to get used to the role of a modern woman. I work and am constantly in a flow that raises , then puts me down."

“Fashion will survive only if it strives beyond the limits of reality. Of all my dresses, the one that sells best is the most unusual one, the one that was said not to be worn.”

“I have talked many times about distant episodes of my childhood, which today may seem invented, fictitious, unreal. I remember an unusually elegant black velvet dress, my mother tried it on one of her clients, Signora Ippolito. Every movement of my mother is still before my eyes "I see how a woman changes under her hands as if by magic."

Gianni Versace in childhood

“He was my victim,” Gianni said about brother Santo. “I played with him as I wanted, took his pocket money, I knew that dad would give him more.”

"After the death of my mother, my father looked lost, abandoned, aged a hundred years. We could not establish relations for a long time. Our reconciliation took place in the church. We stood hugging each other and were silent. Everyone had tears in their eyes. Our past life returned, my mother returned, she returned The south, its sun and its pain. Then we moved home. It was a day filled with tenderness."

“I’m lucky, I have a wonderful family. Sometimes we argue desperately, but it’s always in the interests of the business we’re doing. And we really love getting together. Whatever it is.”

Versace Family, 1976

Years of life December 2, 1946 (Reggio Calabria, Italy) - July 15, 1997 (Miami Beach, Florida, USA) Education Practical: from an early age he worked in an atelier at the Francesca Versace Elle clothing store, which belonged to his mother. Achievements Created a fashion empire and one of the most recognizable symbols of the luxury fashion segment - the logo in the form of the head of the Gorgon Medusa. The brand produces clothing, shoes and accessories, as well as perfumes and even interior and design objects. ​​

On January 17, a new season of “American Crime Story” starts around the world (and a day later in Russia), which this time tells the story of the death Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace, murdered 20 years ago on his doorstep by psychopath Andrew Cunanan. The tragedy caused a real shock in society. Of course: one of those who created the fashion of the 1990s died. He himself often said that he built his own company in the image of a family - a business model from the Italian Renaissance: “You can trust them. You can fight with them and still be loved.” Versace was also loved outside the family - the designer received recognition in completely different circles of the fashionable layer cake: he was respected by professionals, fashionistas, and intellectuals - each for his own. The former for their commercial acumen, the latter for always pleasing, the latter for their courage.

Today exhibitions, music, books and films are dedicated to him. The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story was not endorsed by the brand (read: family), but that only adds to its resonance. In honor of the premiere, we recalled some of the designer’s achievements that most strongly influenced the development of fashion and culture.

Made explicit sexuality popular

In an interview, Versace recklessly said that he makes “clothes for escort girls.” Later, he was reminded of this phrase more than once, but the fact is undeniable - the fashion designer did everything to ensure that sexuality on the verge of vulgarity came into fashion for many years. Anatomical slits on dresses, thin heels, tight dresses and trousers - all this has become a set of brand clichés.

Eloquent proof of how popular his slip dresses were, revealing most body, captured in the film “Showgirls”: it was the dress from “Verseys” that the young dancer Naomi dreamed of buying (and did buy) with her first serious fee.

Created the symbol of Russia in the 1990s - a crimson jacket

Versace's influence on the style of the Russian nouveau riche of the early 1990s is a popular legend, the veracity of which, however, is difficult to confirm today. It is believed that around this time, crimson jackets appeared in the brand's men's line, launched in 1979. I liked the design the most successful businessmen new Russia and it was these that they brought as souvenirs from Europe. Well, Chinese fashion workers created more accessible versions for those who were still at the beginning of their careers.

There is also another version, a linguistic one: about the slang “raspberry” and how well the color of jackets fit into the set of rules of the Russian mafia. One can only guess what happened in reality.

Linked fashion and pop music

The first to suggest wearing leggings instead of trousers

Today it’s hard to believe, but before Versace, no one thought of suggesting that women wear leggings instead of trousers. The designer not only suggested this, but managed to make the “leggings + stilettos” combination trendy for many years to come.

Initially, he decorated an element of the men's wardrobe with the prints for which he was famous: leopard skin, gold chains, the Gorgon Medusa, works based on the work of Warhol - leggings were covered with patterns so bright that fashion editors did not hesitate to call them kitsch. But the public simply adored them.

Began the era of top models

As if sensing, or rather contributing to the onset of the era of overconsumption, Gianni Versace managed to reshape even the models, adding the prefix “super” to them. He invited photographers behind the scenes of shows, gave interviews to journalists, standing in the frame with his favorite models, came out to the public after the show hugging fashion models and, it seems, did everything to make these girls become celebrities.

Largely thanks to him, Linda Evangelista could afford to “not get out of bed for less than 10 thousand dollars” and it was thanks to him that a whole caste of top models of the 1990s appeared, five of which were Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Helena Christensen, Carla Bruni and Cindy Crawford took part in the spring-summer 2018 show, which Donatella dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the death of her brother.