Versace: 15 Things You Didn’t Know

Versace is one of the most recognizable brands in the fashion world. The brand is synonymous with both its creator, Gianni Versace, and his sister, Donatella Versace. However, despite the fact that Versace, as a brand, has spent a considerable amount of time in the spotlight and under the scrutiny of the public eye, there are still some things that many people don’t know. With that in mind, here we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about Versace.  

 

Number Fifteen: They Opened Their First Boutique in Milan. Specifically, it was opened in the Via della Spiga district of Milan in 1978.

Number Fourteen: Elizabeth Hurley Made the Brand Famous. Versace became a household name in 1994 after Elizabeth Hurley wore “that dress,” which was a black dress by Versace. The dress has its own Wikipedia page and was held together with what appeared to be large gold safety pins. The dress was made from silk and lycra fabrics.

 

Number Thirteen: They Are Responsible for Another Very Iconic Dress. While the black dress that Elizabeth Hurley wore in 1994 was voted the most iconic dress of all time in 2008, the green Versace dress that Jennifer Lopez wore in 2000 was voted the fifth most iconic dress of all time.
Number Twelve: The First Boutique They Opened Outside of Italy Was in Scotland. In 1991, Versace opened their first boutique outside of Italy. The boutique was located in Glasgow, Scotland.
Number Eleven: They Have a Luxury Hotel. In 1997, Versace was approached by Soheil Abedian of the Sunland Group in regards to a proposal to build a luxury hotel. In 2000, the first Palazzo Versace officially opened on Australia’s Gold Coast.

 

Number Ten: Gianni Versace Learned Fashion From His Mother. Versace’s mother was a dressmaker, and it was from her that young Gianni learned about fashion and design.
Number Nine: Versace Built a Fashion Empire in 10 Years. Within 10 years of opening their first boutique in Milan, Versace was worth more than $800 million. This is an incredibly impressive feat, even today. 

 

Number Eight: They Are Not Afraid to Use Different Materials. Throughout the years, the Versace brand has utilized many different materials in their clothing, including aluminum mesh, fused rubber, and fused leather.

Number Seven: They Were the First Brand to Connect Music and Fashion. Gianni Versace designed stage costumes for everyone from Elton John to Madonna, and he was the first designer to truly connect the world of fashion to the world of music. 

 

Number Six: Gianni Had Ear Cancer. Though Gianni was eventually murdered in 1997, he had been diagnosed with ear cancer before his death. After he died, Gianni left his lover, Antonio D’Amico, a lifelong pension of approximately $26,000 every month.
Number Five: Donatella Helped With the First Photography Campaign. In 1979, Richard Avedon joined up with Versace to help with their first photography campaign. Donatella helped to supervise the campaign.
Number Four: Brooke Shields Was 14 Years Old When She Appeared in Their Campaign. Shields was in an ad for Versace in the Fall of 1980. Though she was not seductively dressed, she still was only 14 years old at the time.

 

Number Three: Courtney Love Modeled for One of Their Ad Campaigns. You can see Courtney Love featured in an advertisement for Versace’s Spring 1998 collection. She was shot by Richard Avedon for the ad.
Number Two: They Designed Costumes for Several Theater Productions. Versace designed pieces for Donizetti’s Don Pasquale in 1984, Bob Wilson’s Salome in 1984, and Doktor Faust in 1989. The iconic fashion house also designed costumes for several ballets by Bejart between the years of 1984 and 1989.

 

Number One: They Have More Than 80 Boutiques Worldwide. Since its inception in 1978, Versace has opened more than 80 stores or boutiques around the world (as of 2013). In 2014, the Blackstone Group bought a 20 percent stake in the company, solidifying its profitable future in the years to come.