Gianni Versace: The Icon Story continues...

Gianni Versace is among the most famous fashion creators of ХХ century. His art fascinates with its baroque scope and unusual life of the colors and of the patterns. As a powerful reformer of the style, he transformed the concepts of the people for elegance and helped to men to break their appearance and to emancipate it by the canons of the strictness, boredom and monotony.

Terry Edgins throws additional alight on the relationship of Gianni Versace with the celebrities:”In the spirit of Armani, Versace courted the flashiest stars – Sylvester Stallone, Tina Turner and Elizabeth Hurley. But Versace also so often got in touch with the people with bad reputation, as Mike Tyson that very often was wearing “Versace” at public places. 

 

 

Gianni Versace him self boasted once at one reporter that the rapper Tupac Shakur “was wearing Versace” in the day when he entered in the prison and in the day, when he was discharged.” The connoisseurs of the fashion loved to say that the wives of the rich people were wearing “Armani”, until their mistresses preferred “Versace”.

EROTICISM OVER EVERYTHING?
The beauty of the naked or of the half-dressed body, its seducing relief, the hinted or the directly offered eroticism – all this organically interweaves in the disposition of the designer to be at the same time provocative and seductive. For him the beauty is created to be seen as by the men, as by the women. When two women comment one handsome man (half-naked at the beach or effectively dressed in the street or in the bar) they use expressions and epithets, much more different from the words of two men who discuss the beauty and the elegance of one woman.

 

But is there are boundaries between the seducement and the vulgarity, between the sex and the porno? At such kind of questions Gianni Versace answers categorically and together with this philosophically: ”The boundaries and the parameters change with huge speed. Madonna that shows sex, until she is singing, was unthinkable in the 40s.

 

And from other side, one of the best and one of the most ancient books, where the sex and the seduction are explained and illustrated with big simplicity, is namely Kama Sutra.” To enter deeper in the concept of the designer for the eroticism is good to make sense of his opinion of the artistic and sexual phenomenon Sharon Stone. For her, Versace thinks that she possesses beauty that goes beyond the success of one movie. Making analogy with the myth of Kim Basinger and the movie “9 ½ weeks”, he notes that the eroticisms, enlarged on the cinema screen, is able to make all the people dreaming.

Gianni Versace expresses his attitude to the beautiful and provoking naked woman’s body and through the selection of top models for his fashion-shows as the sexy Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen, Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Yasmeen Ghauri, Kate Moss, Nadia Auerman etc, as also the extravagant Christen McMenamy that in 1996 poses in front of the objective of Juergen Teller naked with inscription “Versace” in the style of the “heroin chic” of the middle of the 90s.

 

Just her substandard character and even not so proportional features and physical harmony, and special features of the character and of the biography (she is over 30, she drinks, she smokes and she lives an irregular life) and her image of “bad girl” attract the interest of the fashion creator. It is no chance that Gianni Versace chooses her for advertising face of his collection autumn-winter 1995-1996.

 

But somehow or other the opinion of the designer for the eroticism and for the sex-appeal couldn’t be understood, if we don’t enter deep into his enthusiastic attitude to the ancient Greek and ancient Roman cultures and the confessed in them cult to the beautiful and well-shaped naked body – symbol of life, health, love and success. Versace didn’t put ever the eroticism over everything, but concerning his works of art it can be affirmed convincingly that the eroticism is present in everything, that without it and without it life-asserting symbolism is unthinkable the style “Versace”.

Tribute to everything Gianni Versace, from videos, editorials, ad campaigns, quotes, and images from my personal archives spanning 16 years. I will try to catalogue Mr. Versace's images from my favorite collections during the last 7 years of his life. Gianni Versace was a man who changed my life and introduced me to the world of fashion, art, supermodels, photography, and music. He will never be forgotten... enjoy!     

  

Gianni Versace: King of Rock & Frock

 

The King of Rock & Frock

 
Gianni Versace was regarded as the designer of choice by entertainers and professionals alike, who were attracted to his classics with an edge. He was full-bodied, flamboyant, and extravagant. He was the unopposed King of Glamour who built a $ l billion fashion empire. Gianni Versace was born on December2, 1946. His father Antonio was an appliance salesman and had a tailoring store in Reggio Calbria. As a young boy, he learned to design and make his own clothes.

 

 Several of his designs were sold at the family store. At the age of nine, he designed his first dress, an off the shoulder velvet gown. He worked for his mother until he was 25. 1972 He moved to Milan and worked for a short time with Florentine Flowers, then with De Parisini of Santa Margherita. He designed some "instant" summer wear, which flew off the racks. 1973 He worked with Callaghan (Novara), Genny (Ancona), with Alma and also conceived and designed a line of his own called Complice. 1978 Versace opened his first shop on the via Spiga in Milan and presented his first signature collection as well as his first menswear collection.

 

He used as his Logo, the head of MEDUSA the woman from ancient Greek legend, who had snakes instead of hair. 1982 He won the L'Occhio d'Oro for the best fashion designer for his Fall/Winter collection, displaying the now famous metal garments made of light aluminium mesh. In 1985, his Instante collection hit the store stands. In 1989 he opened the Atelier Versace, a couture workshop. Versace presented Versus, a new line for young people looked after by Gianni's sister Donatella. 1990 Versace launched his Classic V2 line and his Signature line which interpreted his vision in easier versions. He also had the guts to put Jeans on the catwalk during a couture show, which rocked the fashion world.

1991 He received the L'Occhio d'Oro for the 4th time proclaiming him the most creative and innovative designer for men. In 1992 Gianni Versace moved to Miami Beach, Florida and purchased a home at 1116 Ocean Drive formerly known as the Amsterdam Palace for $2.9 million. 1992 Versace unveiled an array of leather bondage dresses, which accentuated sexuality. As usual, this caused a furore. 1993 He designed the new line Home Signature, a line of home furnishings and products.

 

Furthermore Versace was awarded the coveted American Fashion Oscar, on February 1, 1993. 1994 A London newspaper made claims that Versace's empire was funded by the Mafia. He sued and received $ 150,000 settlement and a public apology. After receiving city approval to demolish the Revere Hotel next-door, a two-story, 6,100-foot addition was built transforming the entire structure into a palatial home which Versace named Casa Casuarina. 

 

Gianni Versace's initial connection with Miami, South Beach in particular, came when he designed the sensual T-shirt-and-pastel-jacket look for Miami Vice, a look that exuded a fresh style that would soon sweep the country and set the tone for a decade of wild and reckless living. Versace was murdered on July 15, 1997, at the age of 51, outside his Miami Beach mansion; he was shot to death on his front steps. Andrew Cunanan, who was wanted for murdering four other people in a killing spree (all of the victims, including Versace, homosexual), became a prime suspect.

Cunanan fled and hid from the police. Eight days later he committed suicide in a houseboat on Miami Beach that was under siege by armed police. 1998 The Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of New York, held an exhibition of Gianni Versace's creations, from the ultra-classic to the cool and modern. His flair and daring will always be remembered. In late 2002, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London held a wonderful retrospective exhibition of Gianni Versace's most memorable gowns. This was attended by thousands of people and was most successful.

 

the label
After the death of Gianni Versace, his sister, Donatella Versace, took over his business and continued usage of the family's trademark of using bright colors and designs. She was born in Reggio Calabria Italy, in 1959, being 13 years younger than Gianni. Brother and sister had a very close relationship and Gianni considered her his muse.

 

She started as accessories designer, then took over Versace Young, the children's line. Then she was head designer for Versus, the youth line. Many good friends, including Giorgio Armani, showed up on Donatella's first runway show after Gianni's death, to give her support. The fashion world accepted her as a full-fledged designer. However the house of Versace experienced sagging sales for two years. However, in 2000 the house of Versace finally found a resurgence of sales. Donatella blossomed and in the last two years has become a premier fashion designer in her own right, and not just Gianni's little sister.

 

The Look

He was one of the most important Italian designers of the 1980's and 90's, famous for his strong colour sense and clean lines. He like to wrap the female form, often with bias-cut clothes and fluid silks. Many of his ideas were audacious, but all were carried out to a high level of technical achievement.

Versace viewed his clothes as powerful statement which were executed with unfailing confidence. Almost always the body was swathed or the garment wrapped in some manner. In his clothes, classical historical references blend with bold geometric shapes and complex textures in brilliant colours. His designs are unmistakable, he enjoyed working with leather and experimenting with new fabrics and trimmings. His designs for the theatre and ballet, undoubtedly influenced his fashion work.

 

Who wears Versace? Madonna. Sting. Courtney Love, Jon Bon Jovi, Elton John, Liz Hurley, Katherine Zeta-Jones, Virginia Madsen, Drew Barrymore, Melanie Griffiths, Halle Berry, Beyoncé

Gianni Versace created more Perfumes for Men & Women than any designers til this day!

Perfumes

1984 Gianni Versace (W)
1984 Versace l’Homme (M)
1989 V’E Versace (W)
1991 Versus Donna
1991 Versus (M)
1993 Mediterraneum (M)
1994 Red Jeans (W)
1994 Blue Jeans (M)
1995 Baby Rose Jeans (W)
1995 Blonde (W)
1995 Baby blue Jeans (W)
1995 Pink Jeans (M)
1995 Green Jeans (M)
1996 Yellow Jeans (W)
1996 Versus V (W)
1996 The Dreamer (M)
1997 White Jeans (W)
1997 Black Jeans (M)
2000 Metal Jeans Women
2000 Metal Jeans (M)
2000 2Thousand
2000 Versace Woman
2000 Essence Emotional
2000 Essence Ethereal
2000 Essence Exciting
2002 Jeans Couture (W)
2002 Jeans Couture (M)
2003 Mediterranean Sport (W)
2003 Jeans Couture Glam (W)
2003 Versace Man
2004 Crystal Noir (W)
2006 Bright Crystal (W)
Versus
2001 Time for Energy (U)
2001 Time for Pleasure (W)
2001 Time to Relax (U)
2003 Time for Action (M)
1984 Gianni Versace (W)
1984 Versace l’Homme (M)
1989 V’E Versace (W)
1991 Versus Donna
1991 Versus (M)
1993 Mediterraneum (M)
1994 Red Jeans (W)
1994 Blue Jeans (M)
1995 Baby Rose Jeans (W)
1995 Blonde (W)
1995 Baby blue Jeans (W)
1995 Pink Jeans (M)
1995 Green Jeans (M)
1996 Yellow Jeans (W)
1996 Versus V (W)
1996 The Dreamer (M)
1997 White Jeans (W)
1997 Black Jeans (M)
2000 Metal Jeans Women
2000 Metal Jeans (M)
2000 2Thousand
2000 Versace Woman
2000 Essence Emotional
2000 Essence Ethereal
2000 Essence Exciting
2002 Jeans Couture (W)
2002 Jeans Couture (M)
2003 Mediterranean Sport (W)
2003 Jeans Couture Glam (W)
2003 Versace Man
2004 Crystal Noir (W)
2006 Bright Crystal (W)
Versus
2001 Time for Energy (U)
2001 Time for Pleasure (W)
2001 Time to Relax (U)
2003 Time for Action (M)

Madonna & Gianni Versace: A Match made in Heaven!

Mario Testino the photographer icon who created Madonna for Versace 90s!

 

‘That was a milestone for me. It was for a Versace couture collection, when Gianni was still alive, and when it came out it was billed as “Versace presents Madonna by Testino.” And I was a no one. Who is this Testino?

 

Until then the only photographers known only by their surnames were Newton, Avedon and Bailey. It did change the way people saw me. I became a brand.’ 

 

 

 

Rock & Frock Classics of Gianni Versace

 Gianni Versace once said, "I don't understand those who are professionally cultured. I like pop culture, the culture that doesn't need to show off." This surely has something to do with why we love Versace. Why we really love Versace. The bold, evocative vision of Gianni brings to mind a life of luxury on exotic beaches, villas and dance floors. The mythical planet where Madonna dances, Elton John throws a tantrum and Christina Aguilera belts out a tune.

 I also love the vision that lives on and evolves under the eye of muse, executive and icon Donatella Versace. The fearless use of color and print that comprises the language of glamor spoken by rockstars and supermodels and jet setters, indeed continues. The baroque kaleidescope of masculine and feminine beauty, spins on and on. And in true pop fashion, Versace can be found at exclusive high end boutiques.  I love that this keeps Versace just as vital today as it was when it first launched in 1978. 

 Bon Jovi by Richard Avedon for Versace

Gianni Versace always a name closely linked to 1990s high style, glitz and glamour. 

Sylvester Stallone & Prince for Versace! 

and MADONNA for Versace 90s!

 

 

Richard Avedon: Versace B/W Classic Shots

 

Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) was an American fashion and portrait photographer. An obituary published in The New York Times said that "his fashion and portrait photographs helped define America's image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century." 

 Richard Avedon For Versace........
'I think this is an amazing dress and could see myself wearing it again today. Versace's designs are always so striking.'

 

I remember billions of images from the 90s, forever imprinted in my memory.

some of the stronger images in my memory are Richard Avedon’s photographs of Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford and Marcus Schenkenberg for Versace.
almost 15 years ago I saw this image and I am still impressed by it.

  

 

 

I always drew dresses. I remember loving Richard Avedon's early Versace campaigns. I used to plaster my whole walls with them when I was a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

 

 

 

  

 

A Gianni Versace Tribute

Linda Evangelista & Cameron Alborzian

 Stephanie Seymour & Marcus Schenkenberg