Gianni Versace
A fashion designer whose vivid clothes brought classical imagery, celebrity and sexuality onto the same stage.
Gianni Versace was born in Reggio Calabria in 1946. He learned about dressmaking in his mother’s workshop before moving to Milan in 1972. In 1978 he presented his first collection under his own name.
His clothes combined baroque patterns, bold colour, leather and metal mesh. Classical references, especially the Medusa head, became part of a recognisable visual language. By bringing musicians, actors and leading models into his shows and campaigns, he helped make fashion a form of popular spectacle. He also designed costumes for theatre, opera and ballet.
Versace shared his life with the model and designer Antonio D’Amico for around fifteen years. In a 1995 interview with “The Advocate”, he discussed being gay openly, giving public recognition to a relationship that had long been part of his everyday life.
On 15 July 1997 he was murdered outside his home in Miami Beach by Andrew Cunanan. He was 50. His sister Donatella took responsibility for the creative direction of the fashion house, while other family members continued to play important roles in the business.