Gianni Versace

Gianni Versace born 2 December 1946 (d. 1997)

Giovanni 'Gianni' Versace was a charismatic and accomplished Italian designer of clothing and theatre costumes. He was influenced by Andy Warhol and modern abstract art; and considered one of the most colourful and talented designers of the late 20th century.

Gianni, Santo and Donatella Versace were brought up in Reggio Calabria, by 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 designs drew the attention of various fashion houses, 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.

In less than 10 years, Versace built an empire worth $808 million. He used celebrities, including Madonna, Jon Bon Jovi, Tina Turner, and even Tupac Shakur as models for both the runway and print ads.

He was one of the first Italian designers to hire world-class photographers such as Richard Avedon to photograph his advertising campaigns, also using the top fashion models for these ads - Versace was instrumental in the development of the concept of the Supermodel in the 1980s. Versace has been referred to as the rock-and-roll designer and clients include Phil Collins, Bruce Springsteen, George Michael, Eric Clapton, Elton John, and Michael Jackson. He also made clothes for Diana, Princess of Wales and Caroline, Princess of Hanover.

Always open about his sexuality, he often used homoerotic images in his advertising and produced a coffee table book Men Without Ties. His lifestyle was lavish and glamorous.

In 1982, Versace opened a new chapter in his career, making costumes for the cinema, theatre, opera and ballet. He went on to design accessories, jewellery, furnishings, and china. He was also hired as a costume designer on the TV series Miami Vice. This led to his relocation to Miami Beach.

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.

In September 1997, Versace's brother Santo Versace was announced as the new CEO of the Versace holding. Gianni's sister Donatella Versace, who had always worked closely with him on his designs, is the new head of design.

A distraught Elton John was famously seen at Versace's funeral being comforted by Diana, Princess of Wales.

In 1982, Versace was introduced to a young fashion promoter named Antonio D'Amico and eventually embarked on a long-term relationship that lasted 14 years, until Versace's untimely death. During that time he worked as designer for the Versace sports line.

Versace's will left D'Amico with a lifelong income and the right to live in any of Versace's homes in Italy and the United States. However, the police refused to allow him to accompany Versace to the hospital after the shooting as he wasn't a relative or wife, instead questioning him for hours as he had heard the shot and seen Cunanan flee the scene. Elton John recalled later that D'Amico was not mentioned throughout the Catholic funeral service and he has credited the friendship of Elton John and David Furnish with helping him cope with the aftermath and supporting his new life and career post-Versace.

D'Amico now runs his own fashion design company.