Versace, More than just a brand

Versace is an Italian luxury fashion company and trade name founded by Gianni Versace in 1978. The Versace logo is the head of Medusa, a Greek mythological figure.  Gianni Versace chose Medusa as the logo because she made people fall in love with her and they had no way back.

Gianna Versace was born in Reggio Calabria in Italy on December 2nd, 1946. He studied architecture in Calabria from 1964 through 1967. He had two siblings, a brother Santo and sister Donatella. Gianna started as a designer and buyer in Paris and London for his mother's dressmaking studio before moving to Milan where he became a freelance designer from 1972 through 1977 before opening his own company in Milan in 1978. This is where he showed his first womens wear collection which brought him his first mens wear collection in 1979. Gianni proceeded to show signature fragrances for men and women released in 1981 and 1993.

His work was both metaphorical opera and real clothing, it contained more than life exuberance and design bravura as well as unpretentious, practical application to the comfort of the wearer and expressiveness of fashion. He created distinctive, at the edge designs that achieved the aesthetic limit of the avant-garde and commercial success of viable apparel.

Versace was a consummate craftsman with his insistence upon directing all aspects of his fashion, from publicity and his books, to the exhibitions. He was well known for his relationship with high-profile celebrities and musicians. He surrounded himself with them. This led to the rise of fervor for his fashion shows with stars and personal friends instead of rich socialites. He became known for their party like runway shows, and for creating the supermodel. It wasn’t long after that other designers followed suit.

Not only did Versace design for his own collection he also designed for theater and films. He often collaborated with Maurice Bejart on various ballet and opera productions, including costumes for the La Scala Ballet Theatre. Many of his designs have been showcased in numerous museums, including Germany’s Kunstgewerbemuseum, Japan’s Kobe City Museum, London’s Royal College of Art and Chicago’s National Field Museum.

Versace is remembered for bringing vitality and art to an industry that was once considered out of touch with street culture. He was able to build an empire worth 807 million dollars in less than ten years' time.

He was known for his glamorous styles, producing a range of siren dresses that became his trademark. Versace would often use innovative materials like aluminum mesh in his designs. The head of Medusa was also a recurring image on many of his clothing items and accessories. When Versace launched his first couture collection in 1989, he later added two clothing lines Versus and Instate in the 1990’s.

Another notable aspect of the Versace brand is Versace’s sister, Donatella Versace. Donatella was born in May of 1955 in Italy. She grew up with her older brother Gianni, their brother Gianni and her mother who was a dressmaker. Donatella started working for Gianni in the late 1970’s, as she would oversee the later became the designer for the companies Versus line in the 1990’s.

Donatella was incredibly close to her older brother Gianni, who would take her out with him at night to watch and take notes for what he saw. She had begun developing her trademark look as a teen by dying her hair platinum blonde and using dark eyeliner.

She was hired by her brother Gianni’s side when she started his fashion company in Milan in 1978. He relied on her first for advice then also made her part of an inspiration team that included photographers while designing fashion shows and advertising campaigns.

She served as the chief designer for Versace’s Versus line. During the mid 1990’s she took on a larger role with her brother battled cancer. This helped with health the Versace siblings worked together on a company succession plan. Even though Gianni won his battle with cancer he tragically lost his life in 1997.

Although Donatella was devastated by the death of her brother, she was determined to carry on his legacy. She was announced as Versace’s artistic director days after Gianni’s death. Donatella explained to New York Magazine that during the last two years of her brother’s life she had already taken on quite a large role within the business.

“I was going up into his apartment, showing him the work, getting the approval from him, but I ran the company because he wasn’t showing himself. It was like a year and a half, I did everything.”

Donatella has led the company’s design vision ever since, helping to reinvent it’s product lines over the years. Today, Versace markets a variety of product lines, from home goods to perfume, clothing and eyewear, and operates over 100 stores.

That is the key of this collection, being yourself. Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way to live
 – Gianni Versace