The Childhood of Versace

Gianni Versace was born on December 2, 1946 in Reggio di Calabria, Italy. He lived a humble life with his mother, father, sister Donatella and older brother Santo. Versace’s mother was a dressmaker and he spent his early days helping her by looking for precious stones and gold braid to embroider onto her creations. It was this early exposure to art and design as well as the business side of his mother’s tailor shop that gave him a start to his amazing career in fashion.

Beginnings in Architecture

Gianni Versace first studied architecture before he relocated to the bustling city of Milan to work in fashion design. His talents didn’t go unnoticed for long, and he was soon working as a freelance designer for Italian labels De Parisi, Genny, Complice and Callaghan before breaking out on his own. In 1978, Versace opened his first boutique in Milan’s Via della Spiga which featured his own ready-to-wear collection amongst other labels.

Versace Style

Gianni Versace soon carved out a name for himself in the fashion industry with his trademark “siren dresses”, bold colors, daring cuts and over-the-top sexiness. His most noted looks were bondage gear, metal mesh tunic and PVC baby doll dresses. His shows were always on a grand scale, filled with A-List celebrities and featuring the original supermodels such as Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington. He won many accolades, including four L'Occhio d'Oros as well as an American Fashion Oscar in 1993. Versace sunglasses also became style icons and he also developed a range of men's cologne and women's perfume.

Designing for the Stage and Screen

Versace’s portfolio also included costume design for many popular movies and stage performances. His designs were featured in a wide variety of works including the ballet Josephlegende in 1982, Bejart's Chaka Zulu in 1989 , and the film Judge Dredd in 1995 to name but a few. He was also responsible for many stage outfits that were worn by the likes of Madonna and Elton John.

The Death of Versace

At the height of his career, Gianni Versace was murdered in front of his Miami mansion in 1997. He was killed by a gunman who later committed suicide with the same gun he used to shoot Versace. The label is now creatively managed by his sister Donatella, with his brother Santo and his business partner Jorge Saud. He also left 50% of his fashion empire (estimated at $807 million) to his niece Allegra, and left his long-term romantic partner Antonio D’Amico a monthly pension of 50 million lire.