Chronology: Versace

Singers Rihanna and Lady Gaga, actress Chloe Sevigny, more and more often get into the lenses of photographers wearing Versace clothes made in the early 90s. H & M announces upcoming collaboration with the House. Happy owners of rare books, realizing the growing interest in vintage Versace clothing, begin to sell it on eBay more than the clothes from the new collection. The Guardian notes that Donatella Versace is using an increased interest in the brand created by her brother. Look At Me recalls the history, style, models, prints and campaigns of Versace.

Versace chronology

1972

At the age of 25, Gianni Versace moves from Reggio's hometown to Milan, where she begins working as a guest designer for the Callaghan, Genny and Complice brands.

1978

Gianni Versace opens his own brand with a show of the women's collection. He continues to work for several brands at once.

1982

Gianni Versace begins to use metal mesh-like material in her collections. At the same time, he collaborates with the theater La Scala and creates costumes for the opera.

1989

The couture line Versace - Atelier Versace was founded - a huge risk for a small company. Several staff members responsible for the financial component of the fashion house quit after learning that Versace plans to produce a couture line.

1993

Gianni Versace wins the CFDA award.

1995

The first run of the Versus line in New York. The line is focused on young buyers, and Gianni’s sister, Donatella Versace, becomes her chief designer. The share of Versus then accounted for only 5% of the company's profits.

1997

Gianni Versace was killed near his home in Miami by a madman named Andrew Kyunenen. There are several versions of the murder.

The names of designers who could become creative directors of the brand, among them the friend of designer Karl Lagerfeld, are discussed. And yet the company remains under the control of Gianni's relatives - Santo's brother and Donatella's sister. Donatella becomes the creative director of the brand Versace and remains so to this day.

2009

British designer Christopher Kane begins work on the Versus line.

2011

Announced the launch of a joint collection of Versace and H & M. It is planned to release two full-fledged collections, which will include men's and women's clothing, as well as interior items.

Versace style

“Try to present your wardrobe without bright prints, smart shoes with high heels and shine of chains or knick-knacks,” wrote Kathy Horin in 1997 after the designer’s death. “All this came to us thanks to Versace. on the podium. " Despite the fact that during the fashion shows of the new Versace collections, most of the models of clothes seemed a little adapted to life, more restrained things came to the stores. Gianni Versace exploited many themes: Baroque, Westerns, Byzantium. He combined in his collections animalistic prints, neon colors, gilded elements, black leather and mesh. He changed the starting points of the collections so often that after his death, Donatella Versace, who wanted to keep up with the times and was inspired by the new minimalism, was difficult to adjust. Her first couture collection received very bad reviews in the press. At first, Donatella did not even use printed drawings, because she simply did not know how to apply them. Now all the attention is paid to the brand's DNA: in the autumn collection there are lacquered leather, bright patterns, and gilded elements like buckles on belts. Sophia Neofitu, editor-in-chief of 10 Magazine, notes: “Time is everything. And smart Donatella understands this very well.”

Family ties

Gianni Versace was originally from southern Italy, in which family values have always been paramount. After moving to Milan, after a couple of years he persuaded his brother and sister to move there. Santo Versace, the elder brother, assumed the role of the financial head of the fashion house. His working relationship with Gianni can be compared to the relationship between Pierre Berge and Yves Saint Laurent. Without the grip of Santo and his knowledge of finance, Versace would probably remain just another mark for the nouveau riche, which was considered at first. Donatella Versace, the youngest in the family, has always been the muse of Gianni.

Before becoming a creative director, she helped to stylize shows, led the filming of advertising campaigns and in every possible way established communication with the stars. Donatella has always considered it necessary to make friends with those who in one way or another can advertise Versace. In her submission was also the line Versus.

Death of Gianni Versace

Gianni Versace was shot dead at his home in Miami by a madman named Andrew Kyunenen in the summer of 1997. There are several versions of this high-profile crime. Before killing Gianni Versace, Kyunenen killed four people in a short period of time. Knowing that he could not escape prison, he decided to leave in the glory of glory, shooting the one he hated and whom he always wanted to become. Shortly after the murder of the designer, Andrew committed suicide. By coincidence, a splinter of a bullet that hit Gianni Versace killed a bird, a turtle-dove. Many thought it was a mafia label. Despite the fact that over the decades of the brand’s work, no single financial fraud was revealed, rumors about the connection of the Versace family with the Calabrian mafia clans after the death of Gianni began to grow with a new force.

Advertising campaigns

Initially, the producer of Versace advertising campaigns was Donatella Versace. Both Patrick Demarchelier and Mario Testino filmed the brand, but Richard Avedon worked more than other photographers with Versace. They began to cooperate with the shooting in 1979, just a year after the creation of the Gianni Versace brand.

Versace one of the first designers began to invite stars in their advertising campaigns. Actress Demi Moore, singer Prince, actor Sylvester Stallone were friendly with both the designer and his sister, and could not refuse to participate in the advertising of the brand. Madonna also starred several times in advertising campaigns of Versace (the first time since Gianni Versace, in 1995). Now the face of Versace is actress Januari Jones, who plays the main role in the TV series Mad Men.

Versace and models

It is believed that it was Gianni Versace who is responsible for the famous phrase of the model Linda Evangelists: "I refuse to get out of bed for less than 10,000 dollars." Until 1990, models like Naomi Campbell did not go down the runway. The professions of the model and the catwalk model were demarcated. Already at that time, the girls earned a million dollars a year for advertising, and less than a thousand were paid for running on the catwalk. But Donatella Versace, by that time repeatedly attracting celebrities to collaborate, was the first to understand that the models appearing on the covers of magazines can play an important role in the development of Versace. During the show of the summer collection in 1991, the girls, who were soon known by their names: Naomi, Christie, Linda, Cindy, Claudia and Helena, came to the Versace podium. After the show, Donatella and Gianni did everything to draw attention to the models, behind the scenes of filming and shows Versace began to invite photographers, and later gave pictures to the press. Gianni gave a demonstration interview, standing next to Claudia Schiffer or Naomi Campbell. With many models, the Versace family began to connect not only professional relationships - they really became friends.

Interesting facts about Versace:

Anna Wintour played a crucial role in the development of the brand in the United States. After Wintour became the chief editor of American Vogue in 1988, Versace clothing began to appear not only in the magazine, but also on the covers. "What Versace did seemed funny to me," said Anna. Up to this point, Versace were already known in Europe, but in America their clothes were almost never sold.
Gianni Versace was not as close with Princess Diana as he let know. And although after the divorce from Prince Charles, Diana really began to wear Versace clothes, making this brand an excellent advertisement, she was especially close to the designer. Nevertheless, Diana agreed to come to the designer’s funeral, and seven days later she herself was wrecked in a car accident.
In 1997, almost merged Gucci and Versace. Santo, Versace's older brother, who led all the financial affairs of the brand, believed that this merger would be the Italian answer to the French conglomerate LVMH. But since Gucci and Versace were equal in size of capital, Gianni Versace seemed impossible to retain full control. The merger never happened.
After the death of Gianni Versace, the brand was renamed. If earlier on the labels of things was an inscription Gianni Versace, now the brand is simply called Versace.
Before it was reported that the first joint collection of Versace and H & M would go on sale in November of this year, Donatella Versace said that Versace would not cooperate with the mass market, because it "confused the brand."

Versace insignia:

Prints

Almost immediately after the opening of the brand in 1978, Gianni Versace began to actively use printed drawings. Images of animals, clowns, starry sky, plants, portraits and inscriptions appeared not only on jeans and silk blouses, but also on evening dresses. Now prints are also present in the Versace collections, but not in such numbers.

Medusa Gorgon

With a trademark, Gianni chose the head of the heroine of ancient Greek mythology Medusa Gorgon: "Medusa symbolizes beauty and fatal charms. It literally paralyzes and hypnotizes." Before Donatella Versace became the creative director of the brand, the Gorgon Medusa appeared on the brand's stuff more often. Now on bags and accessories, as a rule, you can see only the "V" icon.

Metal grid

Oroton - metal mesh, from which Gianni Versace began to create dresses, T-shirts and accessories. It was initially very hard. After various experiments, the net was made much easier, but even then the weight of the dress could reach eight kilograms. Later, other designers began to exploit this material.

Versace lines

- Men's and women's clothing

- Shoes

- Atelier Versace - couture line. The decision to launch the couture line was made by Gianni Versace in 1989. The first show took place in Paris at the Ritz Hotel. Now this line is being developed by Donatella Versace and a guest design team.

- Versus - democratic line Versace. Since 2009, its creative director is the British designer Christopher Kane.

- Product line for home

- Watches, jewelry and jewelry

- Bags

- Perfumery line and cosmetics