Gianni Versace
Giovanni Maria "Gianni" Versace (Italian: [dʒoˈvanni maˈriːa verˈsaːtʃe];[a] 2 December 1946 – 15 July 1997) was an Italian fashion designer, socialite and businessman. He was the founder of Versace, an international luxury-fashion house that produces accessories, fragrances, make-up, home furnishings and clothes. He also designed costumes for theatre and films. As a friend of Eric Clapton, Princess Diana, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Madonna, Elton John, Tupac Shakur, Joan Collins and many other celebrities, he was one of the first designers to link fashion to the music world.[4] He and his partner Antonio D'Amico were regulars on the international party scene.[5] The place where he was born and raised, Reggio di Calabria, greatly influenced his career.
This article is about the fashion designer. For his company, see Versace.
Gianni Versace
15 July 1997 (aged 50)
Murder (gunshot wounds)
near Cernobbio, Italy
Luxury fashion designer
Antonio D'Amico (1982–1997)
- Santo Versace (brother)
- Donatella Versace (sister)
- Allegra Versace (niece)
On 15 July 1997, he was murdered outside his Miami Beach mansion, Casa Casuarina, by spree killer Andrew Cunanan.[6][7][8]
Early life[edit]
Giovanni Maria Versace was born in the city of Reggio Calabria on 2 December 1946 and grew up with his elder brother Santo Versace and younger sister Donatella Versace, along with their father and dressmaker mother, Francesca.[9] An older sister, Tina, died at age 12 because of an improperly treated tetanus infection.[10]
Versace was strongly influenced by ancient Greek history, which dominates the historical landscape of his birthplace. He attended Liceo Classico Tommaso Campanella, where he studied Latin and ancient Greek, without completing the course. He was also influenced by Andy Warhol.[11]
Versace began his apprenticeship at a young age at his mother's sewing business, which employed up to a dozen seamstresses.[9] He became interested in architecture before moving to Milan at the age of 26 to work in fashion design.
In 1973, he became the designer of "Byblos", a successful Genny's youthful line, and in 1977, he designed Complice, another, more experimental, line for Genny.[12] A few years later, encouraged by his success, Versace presented his first signature collection for women at the Palazzo Della Permanente Art Museum of Milan.[13] His first fashion show followed in September of the same year. His first boutique was opened in Milan's Via della Spiga in 1978.[14]
Personal life[edit]
Versace met his partner Antonio D'Amico, a model, in 1982. Their relationship lasted until Versace's murder. During this time, Versace was diagnosed with ear cancer.[25][26]
Versace was known for adoration towards his nieces and nephews: Santo's two children, Francesca and Antonio, and Donatella's two children, Allegra and Daniel.[25]
Death[edit]
On the morning of 15 July 1997, Versace exited his mansion and walked on Ocean Drive to retrieve his morning magazines. Usually, Versace would have an assistant walk from his home to the nearby News Cafe to get his magazines, but on this occasion he decided to go himself. Versace had returned and was climbing the steps of his Miami Beach mansion when a man dressed in a gray T-shirt, black shorts, a white hat, and carrying a backpack shot him in the head at point-blank range with a .40 caliber Taurus PT100.[27] Versace was pronounced dead at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, at 9:21 a.m. He was 50 years old at the time of his death. Versace's murder was witnessed by his former UK senior stylist, Dean Aslett, who was on vacation in South Beach, Miami, and had partied with Versace a few days prior.[28]
Versace was the last victim of Andrew Cunanan, a spree killer who had earlier murdered four other men (including real estate developer Lee Miglin). Cunanan died by suicide on a houseboat eight days after Versace's murder.[29][30]
Cunanan was obsessed with the designer and often bragged about his close "friendship" with Versace, although this was symptomatic of Cunanan's delusions of grandeur: he often falsely claimed to have met celebrities.[31] However, FBI agents firmly believe that Versace and Cunanan had previously met in San Francisco, although what their relationship entailed is still a mystery.[32] Maureen Orth published a 2008 article in Vanity Fair reporting that Cunanan and Versace had met briefly at a San Francisco nightclub in 1990 (according to several eyewitness claims) and that they could have interacted on further occasions because both were involved in sex-for-hire circles in Miami and San Francisco.[31][33] However, Versace's family has always steadfastly denied that the two ever met.[31] Police have said that they do not know why Versace was killed. "I don't know that we are ever going to know the answers", said Miami Beach Police Chief Richard Barreto.[34]
Versace's body was cremated and his ashes returned to the family's estate near Cernobbio and buried in the family vault at Moltrasio cemetery near Lake Como. Versace's funeral liturgy, held at Milan Cathedral, was attended by over 2,000 people, including Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Naomi Campbell, Elton John, and Diana, Princess of Wales, who was killed in a car accident just over a month later.[35][36]
Legacy[edit]
In September 1997, the estate announced that Versace's brother, Santo, would serve as the new CEO of Gianni Versace S.p.A. while Versace's sister, Donatella, would become the new head of design.
In his will, Versace left 50% of his fashion empire to his niece, Allegra Versace. She and her younger brother, Daniel, inherited Versace's rare artwork collection. Allegra inherited her stake, worth approximately $500 million, when she turned 18 in 2004.[26][37]
