Signs and superstitions 

House of Versace. Gianni Versace - legendary Italian fashion designer

Gianni Versace is an Italian fashion designer who gave women around the world the opportunity to reveal themselves in outfits from the designer fashion house. He always said that the same dress on Madonna and Princess Diana would look different. If the singer makes it sexy, then Lady Dee 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 his assets to the Versace label in the amount of 50% were bequeathed 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 kept the Francesca Versace Elle atelier. The boy's father, Antonio Versace, was of noble blood, but his parents became impoverished, although they were able to give their son a good education. Antonio knew and loved music, was interested in art, read a lot.

Post-war Italy did not spoil 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.

The hard-working Italians gradually went uphill, Francesca "acquired" many wealthy clients, and Antonio became an economist and advised Italy.

Childhood spent in the studio

Another son, Santo, born in 1944, and daughter Donatella, born in 1956, were brought up in the family. All the mother's love was given to the eldest son.

The younger suffered from a lack of maternal warmth, attention and hugs. He grew up in the atelier of Francesca Versace. Gianni was fascinated by the clothes designed by her mother and the process of their creation. He always followed on the heels of Francesca. The boy's memory retained vivid memories of many hours of trying on and adjusting fabrics on naked female bodies with his mother's skillful hand. He often dreamed that his mother would give him as much attention as her visitors.

Every morning, Gianni and Francesca got up at half past seven, 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 to look in the direction of the brothel. The boy obeyed, and for the rest of his life, the ideal woman for him was 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 director of the school called the boy's parents to his place, noticing his drawings (Gina Lollobrigida) and (Sophia Loren) with lush breasts and frank evening dresses. The teachers attributed the student to having a 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 Faculty of Architecture of the University, 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 a mother, he bought fabrics and accessories, invented new models and was constantly interested in fashion trends. The fame of a young and talented designer began to spread much further than his native city.

Invitation to Milan

In 1970, a wealthy and enterprising businessman from Enzo Nicosia (Entso Nikozia), the owner of the Florentine Flowers brand, hired the budding Gianni Versace.

Biography begins a new round. Pictures of dizzying success painted by a fertile imagination young man didn't give him time to think. He buys a ticket and flies to Milan. In a big city, you can achieve recognition only when you give all your best, giving your favorite business not only time, but also your soul.

Gianni helped Enzo sweep away the new collection in a few days, the presentation of which was a great success. For this work, the young designer was awarded the first topless Volkswagen car.

Versace invents collections on the go, he becomes a field assistant. Collaborates with the Santa Margherita store, Complice Fashion House, popular clothing brands Genny, Mario Valentino and Callaghan. It was simply torn apart and the name of the fashion designer on clothing labels became a guarantee of quality and exclusivity. The fashion designer did not get tired of giving birth to new ideas and styles, earning money and fame for his partners, but 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 care of all financial matters and entrusting his younger brother with the creative side of the business. The brothers create their own company, giving it the name "Gianni Versace S.p.A".

March 28, 1978 Palazzo Palace della Permanente presented the first collection from Gianni Versace to the world. Critics wrote later that those sitting on the front rows had to wear black glasses so as not to go blind from the brilliance on the podium. In the same year, the Versace Fashion House was created, which later became the standard of style and freedom.

Gianni chose the head of the Gorgon Medusa as a symbol of design decisions, whose hypnotic gaze he considered a harbinger of glory, luxury and victory.

In 1979 fashion designer Gianni Versace presents the 1st boutique in Via della Spiga in Milan and launches new line men's clothing.

Since the 80s, the Versace brand has become recognizable all over the world. Designer clothing shocks with frankness and bold cut. She opens her legs, shoulders and back, showing the beauty female body. Zvezdnye clients of the Fashion House Versace are: Princess Diana of Wales (Diana, Princess of Wales), outrageous singer Madonna (Madonna), actress Charlize Theron (Charlize Theron), singer Elton John (Elton John), musician Sting (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. Versace experimented a lot, combining the incongruous, using laser soldering of seams and computer patterns on clothes.

In 1981, the Versace family released the Gianni Versace floral-chypre fragrance for women, and in 1986, the fragrance for men, L'Homme, was created.

The creative nature of Gianni 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 a photo of a new direction of activity widely and expensively.

The fashion designer creates costumes for many productions, including: the television series "Miami Vice: Vice Department", Richard Strauss's ballet "The Legend of Joseph", the composer Gaetano Donizetti's opera "Don Pasquale" and others. Versace Gianni perceived films and theatrical productions as his brainchild, he participated thoughtfully in the development of costumes, thinking over every detail.

The fashion designer is interested in the world of painting and begins to invest in works of art and antiques. Him big collection paintings by expensive artists, including works by Pablo Picasso (Picasso Pablo), Marc Chagall (Marc Chagall), Wassily Kandinsky (Kandinsky Wassily).

Gianni Versace and his lover

Outrageous Italian fashion designer became famous for his love for beautiful life. He had no financial restrictions and he spent as much as he wanted and where he wanted. Because of this character trait of his, serious scandals have repeatedly flared up in the Versace family.

Despite the fact that Gianni was surrounded by naked women from birth, he never developed a relationship with the female sex. He was a homosexual and did not hide his unconventional orientation.

He often indulged in pleasures with young fashion models, one of whom was Paul Beck, Donatella's future husband. Gianni and Donatella Versace did not communicate whole year because Paul left Gianni for Donatella.

Antonio D'Amico (Antonio De Amico), the developer of the Versace sports line, became a constant companion and lover of the couturier. Gianni appointed him to manage the Istane stores and very rarely parted with his partner. Sometimes they took with them some handsome man from the models or from the gay club and the three of them had fun. Versace always generously paid for his pleasures and everyone was happy.

At the time of Gianni's death, his friend was 38 years old. Under the billionaire's published will, he received the right to live in any of his villas for life and a monthly allowance of $ 29,000.

Children of the Versace family

The personal life of Gianni Versace was viewed through the prism of Donatella's family happiness. In the absence of her own heirs, her children were his children too. Donatella's daughter, Allegra Versace Beck, was born on June 30, 1986, from fashion model Paul Beck.

Uncle adored the girl like his own child, spent a lot of money on her, took her to exhibitions and shows, called her his little princess. Once the couturier admitted in another interview to 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 the last will, Gianni left her the entire fortune and 50% of the shares of the Versace house.

In 1989, Donatella had a son, Daniel Beck, and at the age of 8, he inherited his collection of paintings from his murdered uncle.

The couturier left nothing for the children of Santo Francesca and Antonio after his death. He preferred 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 (South Beach) - 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, the owner came out of the Villa Versace. He started the morning as usual, had breakfast and went to buy the latest press at the News Cafe. In a cafe, Gianni drank a cup of coffee and bought a lot of magazines: People, The New Yorker, Vogue, Entertainment Weekly, Spanish Newsweek. The purchase cost over fifteen dollars.

With a leisurely step, he walked back along the most bohemian street in Miami - Ocean Drive. The fashion designer was already near his chic Casa Casuarina mansion when he was overtaken by a man dressed in dark-colored shorts and a light-colored 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, put the key in the iron door and wanted to open it. The man who got up after him suddenly brought a weapon to the head of the designer and fired. Gianni fell on the pink steps of the mansion. The killer fired another shot at the fallen victim's head, stepped off the steps, tucked the gun into his shoulder bag, and headed down Ocean Drive. There, the man locked himself in a red pickup truck stolen from a cemetery watchman Chevrolet (1995), changed clothes and, leaving the car, 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. The called ambulance delivered Versace to the 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 house. Here, a serial killer and a homosexual who earned money by prostitution, Andrew Phillip Cunanan (Andrew Phillip Cunanan), was waiting for him.

Antonio saw the killer move away from the house and the police arrived with an ambulance. However, it was possible to catch Cunanan only after 8 days. He committed suicide with the same gun that shot the designer. The FBI found a suicide letter that said that Versace killed his involvement in sexual minorities. It seemed unusual to the police that at the time of the suicide, Andrew was wearing couturier underwear.

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.

The farewell ceremony was organized at the Duomo di Milano (Cathedral in Milan). The funeral of Gianni Versace gathered more than 2,000 people, among them: musician Elton John, model and actress Naomi Campbell (Naomi Campbell), wife of D. Kennedy Jr. - Carolyn Jeanne Bessette-Kennedy (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 too many blank spots in it, ranging from the reasons for the assassination attempt to the identity of the one who killed Gianni Versace. How, for example, did Cunanan manage to long time to go unnoticed in Miami's most exclusive neighborhood when the man has already been nationally wanted by the FBI for past murders?

The acquaintances of the mysterious killer described him as a sociable and educated person, he spoke 7 languages, but at the same time he dealt in drugs and was the lover of rich men of unconventional sexual orientation. How could a homosexual kill his own kind for an inclination towards same-sex sex?

  • According to one version, Andrew met with Versace before(they were seen together at the premiere of the opera "Capriccio" in San Francisco). And Cunanan, being sure that he was infected with AIDS, killed all his possible partners one by one for three months.
  • Another version involves 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 such a decision. All financial matters of the global brand were managed by the fashion designer's sister Donatella and his brother Santo.
  • One private detective Frank Monte (Frank Monte) claims that Versace "ordered". He said that a few months before the murder, the couturier asked the detective agency to conduct an investigation. Gianni suspected organized crime was laundering money through his business. And this was partly confirmed by some of the discovered facts. Versace's sister Gianni paid a huge amount of money to remove all references to the participation of their family in the mafia 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 mutilated beyond recognition, and sales of Versace collections went up with great 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 kept the siege of the house on the water, where the killer was hiding. And no one heard the shot! When they took out the corpse, 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 suggests such a development of events in which Cunanan did not commit these crimes at all. Perhaps they were made in his name.

The difficulties of the brand Gianni Versace

The death of his brother transferred the management of the Gianni Versace brand to Donatella. She changed the name to Versace and a year later created the first clothing collection released without the participation of Gianni.

The audience accepted it without much enthusiasm, sales began to fall. The sister did not try to copy the style of her brother, but tried to maintain the style of the Versace house.

Restoration of sales volume was outlined only by 2000, when Jennifer Lopez (Jennifer Lopez) came to the outfit Versace at the Grammy Awards.

  • In 2003, Donatella instead of expensive performances holds less expensive shows.
  • In 2004, the Versus youth line, developed by Donatella, was closed by her due to a lack of Money. In 2009 the line was restarted again.
  • In 2006 Gianni Versace S.p.A. and Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. start a joint project for the production of the Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640 Roadster Versace.
  • In 2010 Versace Unique smartphones are presented to the world.
  • In 2011, the Italian football club Internazionale Milano Football Club received new form from a famous brand.
  • In 2012, Atelier Versace Haute Joaillerie exclusive jewelry was shown, available only on request.

Donatella discovered another line of work for herself, starting to open Versace hotels. This is a palace in the Emirates (Palazzo Versace Residences Dubai) and a hotel in Dubai ().

Remembering Gianni Versace

In 2001, the audience saw the 1st biographical documentary film “Victim of Fashion. The Killing of Gianni Versace (Fashion Victim: The Killing of Gianni Versace) directed by James Kent. It tells about one of the incredible and mysterious crimes of the twentieth century and about the failed work of the American intelligence services, which the killer Gianni Versace was able to carry out.

In 2002, director Claudio Barbati shoots the documentary "A" ("Gianni Versace: A Desire for Beauty"), which becomes a tribute to the memory of the world-famous fashion designer. The script describes the enchanting work of the exalted fashion designer and includes fragments of interviews with N. Campbell, D. Versace, photographer Bruce Weber and others.

In 2007 Maurice Bejart presented the ballet "Grazie Gianni Con Amore" ("Thank you, Gianni, with love"), dedicated to the 10th anniversary of Versace's death, at the Teatro La Scala by Maurice Bejart. The fashion designer and the French choreographer have been friends for many years and the couturier has repeatedly sewed costumes for the director's works. The premiere was represented by the world's best ballerinas. Some of the outfits for them came up with Donatella Versace, the other part was the costumes of Gianni Versace.

In 2010, the book "Gianni Versace: La Biografia" ("Gianni Versace: Biography") was published, which describes the milestones life path and creativity of the designer. Its author was a journalist from Italy, Tony di Corcia.

In 2011, the Wall Street Journal journalist Deborah Ball (Deborah Ball) published a book, House of Versace: The Untold Story of Genius, Murder, and Survival.

And in 2013, the American television channel Lifetime presents a feature film-biography of the Canadian director Sara Sugarman called "House of Versace" ("House of Versace"), based on the publication of D. Ball. main character the picture becomes Donatella, who did not let her brother's business take its course, but raised it to a new level in spite of all the cruel laws of Italian fashion. Her role was played by American actress Gina Gershon. The role of the designer is played by Canadian Enrico Colantoni.

At the same time, the same TV channel releases the documentary Versace: Beyond the Headlines.

  • Gianni Versace was diagnosed with inner ear cancer in 1996., but he managed to defeat 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 such a thing as a "top model", starting to single out favorites from their girls and paying them triple fees for the evening of the show.
  • Versace presented dresses and other clothes from the new collections with special chic each time. He turned his shows into fantastic shows and organized more than 60 such productions, using special musical accompaniment.
  • The house of Gianni Versace, in which he was shot, was purchased by the Beckham spouses.
  • 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 reintroduces mini skirts and designs unimaginably deep necklines.

Quotes

  1. My law is not to argue with the wind, it knows which way it is blowing, 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 with 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 spell of ancient Greek classics, both in art and in philosophy, she is a synthesis of beauty and simplicity, which literally paralyzes and even hypnotizes."
  5. “Fashion does not stand still, but clothes remain the same!”
  6. "Time flies fast, we are only 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 by deeds.
  8. “You have to be patient at work, showing equal respect to everyone you come across. No matter what step of the social ladder a person is on.
  9. "High fashion is the only art form that uses technological processes in its development, but at the same time remains itself."
  10. “If you see a woman in VERSACE clothes, you know that she has a lover. Or she often has sex!”

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D. Versace

“You have to be patient at work, showing equal respect to everyone you come across. No matter what step of the social ladder a person is on.

Genius has no limits and people endowed with natural talent do not limit the flight of their creative imagination within the established standards. But talent is just the starting point. True craftsmanship is nothing but the fruit of long and dedicated work.


The genius of Gianni Versace made him a legend during his lifetime, and tragic death the great fashion designer was a shock to the whole world. But the star of the outstanding couturier did not fade away after his death. She continues to light the way for masters who have chosen as their path the creation of new trends in high fashion, and the soul of Versace still continues to live in the works of the master and the creations of his followers.

Adolescence of a genius

Gianni (12/02/1946 - 07/15/1997) was born in the small Italian town of Reggio di Calabria and was the middle child in the family of Antonio and Francesca Versace. His father was an economist, and his mother owned a small atelier. In many ways, it was thanks to her work that the family was able to survive the difficult post-war years and subsequently achieve material well-being.

In his interviews, the fashion designer repeatedly said that in childhood he was not spoiled by maternal love, since all the attention went to his older brother Santo. However, Versace attributed the lion's share of his success to her, because Gianni spent most of his childhood and youth in his mother's workshop: first watching her work, then helping to purchase materials, and then taking a direct part in creating models of dresses.

The range of interests of the young Versace was not limited to tailoring. He was fond of music, history, various types of art, architecture. However, the path of the architect, chosen after graduation, quickly got bored with him and Gianni, having dropped out of school, returned to his mother's atelier. In an effort to learn as much as possible about the world of high fashion, the novice couturier attended all the fashion shows held in Florence, Paris and other cities.

Meanwhile, the demand for Donna Versace's products was steadily growing, the clientele was expanding, representatives of high society began to prevail among customers. And the reason for the growing popularity of the Francesca Versace Elle studio was precisely Gianni's active participation in the creation of his mother's models.



Forward to success by leaps and bounds

The promising fashion designer attracted the attention of the owner of a prestigious Milanese atelier, Enzo Nicosia, who in 1972 offered Gianni to create a new collection of knitwear for him. The heightened interest in his creations and favorable reviews from critics opened the cherished doors for Versace into the world of the Italian modeling industry. For some time he worked with the famous fashion houses of Milan, but the cooperation did not last long - the master strove for isolation.

The dizzying rise of the young couturier's career took place in the second half of the 70s of the last century. Versace creates his first collections: first for women, then for men. In 1978, he opened the Gianni Versace fashion house, whose sign is the head of the Gorgon Medusa. Further, the couturier's career developed exponentially: teamwork with famous photographers, choreographers, choreographers, artists, models and representatives of show business, launching new product lines of the Versace brand, expanding the scope of activities.

In a short time, Gianni Versace not only acquired the status of a trendsetter, but also formed his own empire. Combine incongruous, experiment with contrasts, make bold accents on natural sexuality, manage color - all this was subject to the king of fashion. His indomitable activity and inexhaustible creative imagination elevated Versace to the top of Olympus. modeling business. The commercial success of any of his ventures was guaranteed.






Tragedy on Ocean Drive

Under the world-famous brand, in addition to clothing, perfumes, accessories, dishes, furniture, bed linen, interior items, jewelry, etc. were produced. The state of the famous fashion designer was in the millions. Versace's companion for 11 years was his close friend and lover Antonio de Amico. Glitter and luxury accompanied the charismatic couturier everywhere, although there were some excesses.

A well-known English weekly published an article in which Versace was credited with a connection with the Italian mafia. The master could not endure such an insult and filed a claim for moral damages for libel, which he won. Gossip subsided for a while, but the tragedy that happened to the fashion designer after stirred up new wave speculation.


In July 1997, the great couturier was killed on the threshold of his villa in Miami Beach with two shots to the head. His body was found by de Amico. The investigation established that the killer was someone named Andrew Cunanan, nicknamed de Silva, who already had several victims on his account. There were no motives for the murder of the fashion designer, so he was written off as the whim of a serial maniac, which was Kunanen.

The version of the private detective who investigated this case boiled down to the fact that the great couturier crossed the path of influential representatives of the Italian underworld, for which he was ruthlessly eliminated. Many close friends of the couturier adhered to it.

The body of Gianni Versace was buried in the Italian commune of Moltrasio near Lake Como. The life work of an outstanding designer after his death passed into the jurisdiction of his younger sister Donatella, and most of the fabulous state of the master, according to the will, went to his adored niece, the daughter of Donatella - Allegra. To this day, the legendary Versace fashion house continues to delight connoisseurs of design art with new collections, and the name Versace remains synonymous with impeccable taste, elegance and luxury.

Gianni Versace, Donatella Versace

Gianni Versace was born on December 2, 1946 in Reggio di Calabria, Italy. The talent of a fashion designer came from his mother, who worked as a professional dressmaker. In her studio, the boy spent all his free time. Having huddled in some corner, I was fascinated by how the fabric turns into magnificent outfits. Mother rarely paid attention to him, because he was not her favorite. But, when one day she saw his sketches, her opinion about her son changed a lot. Since then, Gianni began to work with his mother.

In 1971, Gianni moved to Milan, where he began working as a designer for several brands at once: Genny, Callaghan and Istante. The fame of Versace's talent ran far ahead of him. Soon he was bombarded with lucrative offers. The fashion designer worked first with one fashion house, then with another, but always dreamed of own brand. With the organization of the business he was helped by his brother financier Santo. And soon the head of the jellyfish became a symbol of the new fashion house.

The fact is that Gianni was interested ancient mythology, and considered the Gorgon a symbol of bewitching, unconditional beauty. This emblem has become very recognizable all over the world.

The first independent presentation of the collection of women's clothing under the brand "Gianni Versace" took place, and with great success, in 1978 in Milan. In the 1980s, he actively created clothes under his own brand, while simultaneously working for other companies.

In the early 1990s, Versace became a world famous designer, and the outfits he created became a symbol of luxury and sexuality. As with everything ingenious, the attitude towards Versace's style is contradictory. Some considered it luxurious, others vulgar. Armani was outraged that Versace was turning the catwalk into a stage for a cheap erotic show.

What Armani was definitely wrong about was the price. For his shows, Versace invited only the best fashion models and paid them 10 thousand dollars a day. Luxury in everything has become his motto. Among his clients were the brightest stars: Madonna, Sting, Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley and Jon Bon Jovi. He also designed costumes for ballets by Maurice Béjart.

In addition to clothing, Versace created perfumes, porcelain and glassware and furniture that cannot be confused with any other brands.

Gianni Versace was shot dead on July 15, 1997 in Miami Beach. His death is still shrouded in mystery, although the killer was found immediately. It was Andrew Cunanan, a gigolo who made money with connections with rich men. But the motive for the crime remained unknown to the public.

The name of the world famous fashion designer Gianni Versace is associated with a progressive look at the image. modern woman, which combines not only elegance, but also dynamics, and even eccentricity. He was called the "King of the Baroque", among his admirers are Hollywood stars, pop stars, sports stars, American astronauts, royalty, millions of ordinary people. The style of Gianni Versace covers not only clothes, accessories, glasses, perfumes, dishes, phones, furniture and cars are produced under this brand. December 2 to this brilliant master, who changed the idea of fashion style would have turned 67 years old. By this date, I propose to get acquainted with 15 interesting facts from his biography.

1. The mother of the future fashion designer worked as a dressmaker in her own atelier, where Gianni was born. Since childhood, he was surrounded by fabrics, which later turned into beautiful dresses. My father was a home appliance salesman. In addition to Gianni, two more children were growing up in the family.

Parents wanted to see their younger son architect, so after graduating from school he entered the university, but he did not have to study there for a long time - his mother needed an assistant.

And since Gianni was hers right hand in the performance of various assignments, he returned to his native town of Reggio di Calabria. At the age of 18, he began working in the family shop. He not only helped his mother place orders and deliver fabrics, but also attended fashion shows and was interested in fashion design trends.

2. In 1972, he moved to Milan and began working as a designer in several companies, he was immediately noticed by famous Italian couturiers. And in 1978, 32-year-old Gianni Versace opened his own Model House, where he arranged both his older brother and younger sister. The first show of women's clothing made a splash. “In the front row they put on sunglasses to protect the eyes from this bright splendor, ”the newspapers wrote.

3. The head of the Gorgon became the emblem of the House of Models. According to the master, the ancient Greek jellyfish is a symbol of fatal charms that paralyze and hypnotize a person with its beauty and simplicity.


4. 80s The twentieth century is the heyday of the work of Gianni Versace. A woman dressed in a new dress has become more sexy, graceful, elegant. The fashion designer preferred tight-fitting fabrics that emphasize the figure, experimented by combining silk with fur, leather and metal. He revived tight trousers, miniskirts, used corsets, opened the back and chest, making the look more sensual. Gianni Versace clothes became popular. The income of his empire was approaching a billion dollars, and total number Versace branded stores around the world exceeded a hundred.


5. In 1982, the designer first showed evening dresses made of thin, soft and movable aluminum mesh, sparkling and enveloping the body like fish scales. Versace's fall/winter women's collection won awards from Golden Eye and Cutty Sark that same year.
6. It is Gianni Versace who owns the term "top model". His clothes were popularized by Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Carla Bruni, Eva Herzigova, Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer.

The couturier carefully selected music for his shows. Elton John wrote several compositions especially for Versace. The fashion designer made costumes for 25 opera and ballet productions by such masters as M. Bejart and V. Forsythe. He dressed Madonna for "Four Rooms", together with Elton John made a modern version of "Aida" by G. Verdi. For his contribution to fashion and music, Gianni Versace was awarded the Order.
7. A big admirer of Antiquity, in his clothes he combined aristocracy and kitsch, and each of his collections combined classics and modernity: either punk culture, or baroque, or pop art, or outright BDSM and the style of gay clubs. Versace brought into fashion a combination of black leather and gold accessories, a combination of evening dresses and underwear, bright prints on shirts, leather-fitting trousers for men, high heels. For the first time, a guy without a tie and in jeans appeared on the podium.

8. Clothing from Versace is recognized as the most fashionable and becomes an attribute of wealth and status. That is why his style is often faked. However, Versace made not only clothes, but also jewelry. “While the recognized masters tried to say only “A”, Versace was already doing the whole route from “A” to “Z”. The speed of thinking, calculation and speed of execution are gigantic, ”admired the French choreographer Maurice Bejart.

The talented craftsman produced a diadem and a necklace "Vanity of Leonardo da Vinci". In 1981, the first women's perfume "Gianni Versace" was released, and in 1986, the men's fragrance "L" Homme. At the same time, the production of porcelain and glassware (together with Rosenthal) and furniture (Versace Home) from Gianni Versace.

9. He becomes one of the richest people in the world. He owns several apartments, houses, villas in Rome, Milan, Lake Como, New York, Miami ... He invests in antiques and art. In his collection of paintings by Kandinsky, Chagall, Picasso, French Impressionists. “The simple accumulation of money is the lot of poor people. Paintings are collected by truly rich and far-sighted people, ”the fashion designer liked to repeat.

10. For 25 years of creativity, Gianni Versace has held more than 60 performances, carefully rehearsed and thought out to the smallest detail. On June 24, 1997, the loudest show of Baroque Bel Canto took place in Florence in collaboration with the composer Maurice Béjart.
11. In the mid-90s. doctors diagnosed Versace with oncology, but the fashion designer captured the disease in time. In public, he was always cheerful and cheerful, gave interviews, and personally attended all the shows.
12. Gianni Versace was gay and never hid his views. For 11 years, Antonio D'Amico was his constant partner and lover. At the Versace fashion house, he developed a sports line.

13. Versace's first published book was uncomplicatedly called Design. He has designed costumes for films such as Showgirls, Ballet for Life and Judge Dredd.
14. In public, Gianni Versace never appeared without bodyguards. He allowed himself to walk freely only in the vicinity of the Miami Beach villa. It was here that the killer, homosexual Andrew Cunanan, who killed his idol on July 15, 1997, lay in wait for him.

15. July 22 in Milan cathedral a civil memorial service was held, which was attended by thousands of friends and admirers of Versace's talent from all over Italy and many countries of the world. Elton John, Sting, Naomi Campbell, Caroline Bissett-Kennedy, as well as fellow designer Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld came to honor the memory of the great fashion designer. Only written condolences gathered for a five-volume work.

1943−1969
Actress and model, murdered by members of the Charles Manson cult

The tragedy that happened to the 26-year-old beautiful actress shocked all of Hollywood. Sharon, wife of director Roman Polanski, while on last month pregnancy, was stabbed to death by members of the sect of the famous maniac Charles Manson. At the time of the gang attack, three more friends were in Sharon's house - all became victims of the fanatical criminal commune "Family". The cruelty of the murder shocked even America, accustomed to a lot, and later it turned out that the criminals did not even know who exactly their victims were.

Manson himself and seven members of his sect, who participated in other ritual murders, were sentenced to life. Polanski, who initially spoke to reporters about the murder of his pregnant wife, later left America for several years.

Manson himself is now serving a life sentence. Two and a half years ago, Manson announced that he was marrying his fan, 26-year-old Afton Barton, but the engagement broke down: the maniac found out that the girl planned to embalm his body after death and put it up for money.

Jonbenet Ramsey

1990−1996
Children's beauty pageant winner

On December 25, 1996, a terrible tragedy occurred in the family of computer tycoon John Ramsey and his wife, Patricia, a former beauty pageant star. On Christmas night, the body of their six-year-old daughter, Jonbenet Ramsey, was found in the basement of their own house.

That day, the parents put the girl to bed, and a little later they found a note on the stairs stating that their daughter was kidnapped with a bail requirement of $118,000. JonBenet has held the titles of Little Miss Colorado, Tiny Beauty of the Nation, and Colorado Cover Girl. It is obvious that the criminal purposefully chose this popular baby as a victim. However, the kidnapper never contacted the parents, and later the couple found the girl already dead in the basement.

It is presumed that JonBenet was strangled, and there were also large bruises on her body. The police at first suspected the girl's parents, but after conducting a DNA examination for traces of blood on the girl's clothes, all suspicions from the spouses subsided. JonBenet's father hired investigators, but, unfortunately, the killer has not yet been found.

Later, John Ramsey would write the book The Other Side of Suffering, in which he blames himself for allowing his daughter to become vulnerable: “Why did we have parties in our house that we let strangers in? I will never forgive myself for this ... I had to raise all my relatives and friends to their feet, to attract all possible resources in order to find the killer. He hid in the dark. He is still hiding somewhere…”

Gianni Versace

1946−1997
fashion designer

Designer Gianni Versace was shot in the head with two shots on July 15, 1997 by serial killer Andrew Cunanan. The founder of the fashion house Versace died on the threshold of his villa, where he lived with fashion designer Antonio d'Amico. The reasons for the brutal massacre still remain a mystery, which Cunanan took with him to the grave. Two months after the crime, he shot himself on his own yacht when he was surrounded by police. However, it is known that four more people became victims of the 25-year-old drug dealer, including his own lover.

Since then, many versions of the death of the couturier have been put forward - from revenge Italian mafia to involvement in the order of the designer's younger sister Donatella, who inherited her brother's fashion empire.

Elizabeth Short

1924- 1947
waitress and actress


simple american girl large family crossed the whole country, dreaming of becoming famous Hollywood actress. But fame found Elizabeth after her painful and terrible death at the hands of a maniac that was never caught. Elizabeth's mutilated and cut in half naked body was discovered on January 15, 1947, in a vacant lot on the outskirts of Los Angeles. The face of a 22-year-old girl was also cut.

The journalists who covered the investigation called the deceased beauty the Black Dahlia, and under such a romantic name, the aspiring actress remained in American history. During the investigation of the Short case, more than 60 people, men and women, confessed to the murder of the girl, but their testimony was found to be false. The mystery of the death of the Black Dahlia still attracts lovers of secrets. For example, Los Angeles private detective Steve Hodel, who was a child at the time of the high-profile investigation, studied the case and came to the conclusion that the killer was ... his own father! According to the detective, his father was a serial maniac, and it was suspicions of his involvement in the Dahlia case that forced Hodel to conduct his own investigation.

The history of the Black Dahlia, among many other artists, was inspired by the musician Marilyn Manson, creating his paintings.

Pier Paolo Pasolini

1922−1975
Director


The author of the cult films The Gospel According to Matthew, The Decameron, The Canterbury Tales and the painting, which was released in the year of his death, Salo, or 120 Days of Sodom, became a victim of a neo-fascist group. A gang of four nationalist teenagers, one of whom was never caught, attacked Pasolini on a November night in a suburb of Rome. The director had half of his ribs broken, his jaw and arm were broken, his ears were mutilated, the body of the already deceased Pasolini was crushed by a car ... The convicted young people changed their testimony many times later, confusing the investigation.