Gianni Versace
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| Gianni Versace | |
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| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Name | Gianni Versace |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Birth date | 2 Dec 1946 |
| Birth place |  Reggio Calabria |
| Date of death | 15 July 1997 (aged 50) |
| Place of death | Miami Beach, Florida, USA |
| Working Life | |
| Label Name | Versace |
Gianni Versace (December 2, 1946 – July 15, 1997) was an accomplished Italian designer of both clothing and theater costumes. He was influenced by Andy Warhol, Ancient Roman and Greek art as well as modern abstract art; he is considered one of the most colorful and talented designers of the late 20th century.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Gianni Versace was born in Reggio di Calabria, Italy, where he grew up with his siblings Santo and Donatella, along with their father and dressmaker mother, Francesca.
Gianni began his apprenticeship at a young age, helping his mother find precious stones and gold braid with which to embroider dresses. He studied architecture before moving to Milan at the age of 25 to work in fashion design.
In the mid-Seventies, his knits drew the attention of head-hunters at Genny and Callaghan. Complice hired him to design their leather and suede collections, and 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. His first menswear collection followed in September of the same year.
[edit] Death
The designer battled with a rare cancer of the inner ear. He was presumed to be in remission when, one July morning in the summer of 1997, returning from his customary walk on Ocean Drive, he was gunned down outside his ocean-front mansion in Miami Beach, Florida. He was murdered by spree killer Andrew Cunanan, who committed suicide shortly after the murder. Police reported that Andrew Cunanan had committed suicide using the same handgun that had been used to murder Gianni Versace.[1] He was buried in Lake Como, Italy.
In September 1997, Versace's brother Santo Versace was announced as the new CEO of the Versace holding. Gianni's sister, Donatella Versace, is the new head of design. Elton John dedicated his 1997 album The Big Picture to Versace.
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Costume designer
- Ballet for tino (1997)
- Judge Dredd (1995)
- Shakespeare Shorts (1996, TV series)
- Showgirls (1995)
- Kika (1993)
- Vacanze di Natale (also known as Christmas Vacations, 1991)
- Cin cin (also known as A Fine Romance, 1991)
- As Long as It's Love (1989)
- Miami Vice (1989, TV series)
[edit] Actor
- Catwalk (1996)
[edit] Awards
- Versace was awarded the coveted American Fashion Oscar on February 1, 1993.
- President of the Italian Republic Francesco Cossiga, confers the decoration of "Commendatore della Repubblica Italiana" on him on January 24, 1986.
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- Versace Official Homepage
- Versace House on Ocean Drive
- South Beach Magazine Article on Gianni Versace's life in Miami Beach with photos.
- The Widower Versace Article on his lover Antonio D'Amico from Out (magazine)gianni versace is one of the best designers of the world
