F

L]NIVERSE OF FASHION

VERSACEBv RrcH.rRn MeRrrn

UNIVERSE / YEIIDOME

o

First published in the United States of America 1n 1997

by UNIVERSE PUBLISHINC

A Division of Rizzoli International Publications. Inc.

300 Park Avenue South

New York. NY 10010

and THE VENDOME PRESS

Copyright A IggT Éditiorrr Assouline, Paris

English translation copyright A 1997 Thames and Hudson, London

Front cover photograph: W'oman, photo by Herb Ritts,

coll. fall/winter 1991-1992. @ Archives Versace.

Back cover photograph: Man, photo by Bruce Weber,

coll. spring/summer 1989. O Archives Gianni Versace.

AII rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any fonn or by any

means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording? or otherwise,

without prior consent of the publishers.

ISBN 0-7893-0090-7

Printed and bound in Italy

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number:97-O6O143

n llorper's Bazaar of July 1977, an advertisement reads,'(lianni Versace and Milan. Here and very now . . . A totalcxlravagance.'lhe principal outfit shown is a loose silk crepe-de-

r'lrirrr, hl,usc with wide pleats and a crystal-pleated collar, worn with aaoli kr¡rlllr:r skirt. The look is imperial and certain, a woman with a sure¡r.rr*c r¡f' l'ashion as luxury and privilege. Versace, designing at the timelirr ( lrrrr¡rli.e and Beged-or, was already in command of his distinctiveelylr'. Alrsolute power and authority are found in a visual bravado com-lrirr.rl with comfortable materials and a relaxed silhouette. Versace was,nn rtlwlys, dcsigning the most confident clothing of his time. Vho else,¡llir.r ¡rll, would combine silk and leather with the panache of Americanr¡rorlswcar'/ Who else would have let the pleats in the silk blouse becomelltr. r'r'lrlrr: of' ever-widening ripples that make troughs in the soft leather¡lrirl'/ Vrrsace sees the baroque possibilities of drapery and texture andi¡ lrlrlc lo confer those characteristics on the modern woman withoutrtril ignl i n¡¡ modern dress.

l,c¿rllrcr is a recurrent motif in Versace's collections for men andwoff r(rrf . llc tells his 'leather story' in Signatures, describing how hisrirlr.r. l)orratella, shared leather pants and white blouses with DianaVrerrl¡urrl, so that the two had not only initials in common, but alsor,lirl lrcs, Vrrsace reports that seeing Mrs Vreeland, in her seventies, wear-lrrg lris krathcr pants 'led me to an even greater love fbr leather, whichrnnr¡r¡ns r¡nc of the materials I love'. It is the strength of leather and itsa¡rociulion with sensual and raw power, as well as its colouristic and tex-lultl richlrcss, that Versace enjoys and exploits. Though he has becomelltlenlulionally preeminent as the designer of unabashed sexuality, com-hirrt.rl with a strong sense of personal grace, he remains very much anIt¡li¡rrr rlcsigner. He is true to the materials of his culture: rippling silksIu llrr, lnürrner of the best Pucci and the rich, irresistible leathers ofl"l¡¡¡1r¡¡¡:¡r's glory. His gladiator boots for women of the early 1990s werellolt ltH sorno imagined, a malicious misogyny - they were a means oft'¡tlr.r' irrg lloman history and romance, of being part of the historicalIt¡rvr,l of'l l lc lloman world in which women seize real power from men.

is men in leather - even black leather and studs - are

not bikers, bar-boys or 'Village People' - they are cava-

liers, paladins of vivid and epic masculinity. His metallics

come out of his fanatical classicism reinforced by his abiding sense of the

colourful pageantry of the Renaissance. His Autumn/Winter l99l-92

Atelier Versace woman's ensemble of f'ull-studded motorcycle jacket

worn over a studded silk crepe blouson top and pleated skirt was accom-

panied by large metallic belts and collars. In an era when women seek

urbane armour, Versace has created a symbol of authority that is also

stylish. Did Versace ask the couture workshop to make a gang or gangsta'

moll or did he realize that contemporary culture already provides an

imagery equivalent to Quattrocento magnificence? S/hat Versace in fact

created was a sensual contemporary woman who despite her short skirt

has the powerful authority of a traditional menswear paradigm. And

he created her in the template of courtly elegance.

The male counterpart to the Versace Atelier I99l-92 ensemble is the

black-leather man's outfit for Spring/Summer 1993. This is not garb for

I)re Spike or any other leather bar. The Versace man, like the Versace

woman, is exquisitely sexy in clothing and prepared fbr a grander lif'e's

spectacle than bars. Sleeveless, with pocket escutcheons, he is destined

for imagery and imagination far more enduring than one-night stands.

For the scholastically branché, it may seem that Versace has cultivated a

post-modern sensibility. He has determined that fashion's place in the

world is at the centre of visual spectacle. That simplistic, almost dog-

matic, credo, in which Versace firmly believes, is the reason why others

may not recognize the sensibility of his work. Shen Versace is minimal,

his reductivism is like Mondrian's, forced into the public witness. When

Versace addresses sexuality, he flaunts it. When Versace appropriates art,

he does so with a mad collector's rapacious eclecticism. Yet this is not

hyperbole; it is fashion as the graphically enhanced spectacle of lif'e.

¡lk is another essay in material for Versace. His impec-<:able silk blouses, bias cut for suppleness and fullness,r:omplement wool and leather skirts and pants. His silk skirts are

lirrrl¿¡si.s of wild geom'etries and prints. Though he may splash silk with!i.rrllr lirach motifs, Pop Art graphics and other contemporary colour inllr. r¡l¿r'ner of film's Technicolor, versace knows this material with alll l¡r' ¿¡r,rr't:n of ltalian Renaissance merchants and tradespeople (not to¡rr.r¡lirr Quattrocento artists). He is aware that its fundamental value isitr rrlril ity to convey rich colour on a wondrously pliant field.

'l ' lr ' l lalian Renaissance is not only a paradigm of dress fbr versace,lrrl ¡rlsr his model for life. To say that he lives like a prince is not to sayrrr.r'.ly that he lives affluently, but that he is a modernized version of thell.r¡irissarce tradition of the learned, artistically discriminating culturall.rrrk',r. vrrsace aspires to Medici aesthetics and authority; his synthesis islrrrrrl r¡rw not only in clothing that has the distinct colours and silhou-.ll.s rl'lilrnaissance pageantry, but also in his intellectual cultivation of¡r'(' '-l)latonism, and his dispersal ol an aesthetic voice int'everyrx¡r.r:l

'f' living, from clothing to home furnishings, fragrances, music

¡rrrrf lrrrrs.s. versace does not inhabit old palazzi; he makes their.rl¡l.r¡rP.rary equivalents. His publication of sumptuous books is theilrdr¡lgr,'<,. of a prince. His great houses are equipped with equally greatlilrrrrrir,s. ll is ubiquitous Medusa is not a label in the fashion sense, buttutt irrsi¡¡rria in the Renaissance tradition.

lrr llr. 1990s, like a Renaissance prince, versace orTers patronage to alh'r¡r'. wrbor photography exhibition and publication which in turnlr.r'¡r¡rrr rr gifi to Interuiew readers and also to a Richard Avedon exhibi-lirn. ll. ¿¡.1.s as co-sponsor of the l99s-96 exhibition,Haute Couture, at'l'lrr' ( lrslurnc Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. In all these{r'l ivili.s. h. conceives of f'ashion not as an enterprise in apparel, but as aIrtrgcr lu ll r¡ ral cnergy.

hat Versace shows is an unerring eye for discerning what

is elegant in the continuities of contemporary life and

for bringing from the street those extravagant and grace-

ful elements that represent the best in contemporary style. No major

designer living today has more successfully appropriated the street's

reality and transfigured it into convincing style. Versace's friend IGrl

Lagerfeld sees the street sociologically and trenchantly, but Versace sees

it even more distinctly and more aesthetically.

Vrrsace perpetuates the great tradition of Italian postwar design.

Recognizing that mass production and sportswear are the inevitable

parameters and principles of contemporary fashion, he has continued to

produce the relaxed silhouettes familiar from the work of Princess Irene

Galitzine and Simonetta. Easy dressing - a demanding idea for a city like

Paris, vested as it is in the formal and hand-made - is second nature to

Versace. He understands that fashion operates from a principle of corpo-

real and visual pleasure, allowing no artifice and no restriction that is not

ultimately governed by the comfort and confidence of the wearer and

the spectacle of the garment in society. The new lifestyle elegance that

Italy perf'ected in the 1950s and 1960s in combining American sports-

wear with Italian respect for luxurious materials is at the heart of his

attainment. W'e could not imagine his worh without the precedent of

Pucci, who, with his contemporary graphic grandeur and silks, off'ered a

flattering way for modern women to dress. A Spring/Summer l99l

jumpsuit in laminated silk tulle has the daring of Calitzine's palazzo

pyjamas, but now renders the worker's coverall sheer and radiant.

Versace takes the audacity even further in the corset, with unexpected

military touches applied in strass embroidery. He is well aware of the

combinations of luxury and utility that make clothing both practical and

beautiful. He also knows those elements of the masculine that make

femininity erotic and those elements of the feminine that can charge

masculinity with self-conscious eroticism. The postwar Italian tradition

remains operative in Versace's work; he has assimilated that past without

in any way being subservient to it. His epic imagination may be stirred by

lrix lr.loved Quattrocento Renaissance, but he is also informed by the¡rlrrr:t irality and tested success of the postwar renascence in ItalianrL,sigrr and fashion.

o the vocabulary of sportswear Versace brings the rheto_rical flourish of sex. His sportswear impulse is apparent inhis f'ascination for pants of every variety. Loose pyjama pants,

liglrl r:igarette pants, leggings and other trousers are all explored byv'r'sirr:.; his separates depend upon an ingenuity of matching and diver-rrity tlrat is one of his particular strengths as a colourist. His spring 1997.rllr.lir¡n for versus (in collaboration with his sister, Dorrut"llu), fo,irrrrl,rrr:t:, mixed colours and patterns with a painter's audacity; versacellrrs irlways allowed an initial colour dissonance which soon yields to therrlrr rl ling beauty of the colour combinations. colour and pattern are hall-r¡¡rrrl<s of his achievement. As a colourist, he is unafraid; his patterns canl¡r,

'lrinral skins, neon-like brights or rich metals. $/hen versace"s friend

l')ll¡'r .fohn received a fashion and music award from the televisionr"sir: channel \fHl for his personal style, he declared his dedication tor'krl lring that had expression and was not merely drab suits. versace¡¡lr¡rrr:s this f'eeling. unlike more polite designers, he is always willing torisli vulgarity. The fact is, anyone who wears versace is in danger oflr.ilrg over-the-top, over-the-edge, or just overdressed, but versacelirrr¡ws - like any truly great artist or designer - that pleasure residesir¡ ¿r.sthetic risk and that new fashion exists only by dint of aestheticirrrrr¡vation. Not surprisingly, most of versace's art exemplars, includingsrlria Delaunay, Gustav I(imt and Andy warhol, were notably avant-girrrl<: in their own way.

'l'hus, versace's supposedly wild aspect is not a teasing lack of discrim-irr.li'n, but rather a determination that pushes fashion on towards therr.w and the adventuresome. It might be thought that a tlesigner as

r--

o

intrinsically contemplative and respectful of history as Versace rs an

unlikely candidate to consort with rock stars, but Versace makes it clear

that he exalts contemporary culture. He never conforms to trad-

itional fashion decorum, preferring the unabashed appreciation of the

culture of his time. This gives his work an urgent, almost synaesthetic,

connection that much of today's fashion lacks'

n fact, Versace is the only contemporary designer who

fully embraces both the Madonna and Madonna' His

Autumn/Winter l'99I-92 collection f'eatured the Byzantine

representation of Virgin and Child. Versace did not copy lrescoes or

icons, but provided a more vivid contemporary version in embroidery,

almost as if all the mosaics in Ravenna and Byzantium had been sud-

denly cleaned to their original d,azzling brilliance. Art historians will

never see an authentic Byzantine Virgin and Child with such arresting

clarity; Versace's historicism is to render history better than it ever was.

'lhe audacity that takes him to Byzantium is typical of his forthright and

recurrent use of the past. Klimt, classicism, Warhol and Pop Art, Ancient

Egypt and a lascivious Art Deco Egyptomania are all evoked in the

designer's encyclopaedic referencing of the art of the past, but he cloes

not wish to replicate any of these; rathe¡ with an innocent enthusiasm,

he tries to surpass the past itself. For Versace, embroidery was a

perf'ect medium for such a faux approximation and exaggeration of

Byzantine madonnas.

Yet Versace also knows and employs Madonna, contemporary

culture's brightest star. He effectively bridges the numinous original

and the namesake. Madonna was the model for photographs of the

Autumn/Winter 1995-96 collection of extraordinary plastic dresses

rendered as couture. Capable as he is of conjuring up an assimilated past,

Versace is equally expert in treating the life and materials of his own

lillrr'. In choosing Madonna to be photographed in couture plastic,Ir. lr¿rs brought the full energy of our media culture to the traditionallyl'¡tt'.li.d precinct of couture. Again and again, versace, who enteredlorrlr¡rt: in order to create an unqualified and extraortlinary art, hasrrr¡¡rLr .outure unapologetically contemporary. His couture lace isflirlrrlirus; his couture silhouette is sleekly contemporary, alludingr'lricf ly to artistic minimalism; his bias cuts are infbrmed by tradition. butrr.rrrly to party in the 1990s.

he Autumn,/winter 1995-96 couture collection íeaturetldresses and suits in plastic and polyvinylchloride (pVC), aconcept that redefines and electrifies fashion. In an audacious act

,l gr:nius, versace brought the exacting handsewing and meticulousl.r:lrrriques of couture to what seem to be almost industrial-stren$hr¡rirl.rials in plastic. Vhen Elsa Schiaparelli designed in the new cello-¡rlr'rr. in the 1930s, she was trying to make use of the quintessentialrt¡¿rl.'rial of her time to advance couture. The objective was to employ anirrlnr.tably modern stuff in a medium that could be either modern orlr¿rrlitional. Schiaparelli realized that an experiment with a lustrous newtttitl.rial, not customary in clothing, could only enhance the stock andsl¿rlus of fashion.

N,t only does versace parallel schiaparelli's avant-garde gesture, herr ls. specifically takes advantage of the transparency of the new medium.ll. has created in fashion the equivalent of the glass house, allowingllrr: heavy see-through plastic to serve as counterpart to the structure-r.vr:aling panes of a house made of glass. Even as he sprinkles crystal¿rlrrl beads on the plastic, versace creates a sparkling fantasy of a dressllrat. seems to consist only of radiance, with no discernible core. It is a( lir¡derella dress of the 1990s because it shakes off all visible structure.kraving its wearer dressed only in the stars.

10 17

These 1995-96 couture dresses raise another issue as well. If the fun-

damental material of the dress is transparent, how can it function as any

garment other than the Emperor's new clothes? Versace is deliberating

on the recent history of transparency in dress, especially the plastics of

the 1960s. Designers such as Rudi Cernreich, prompted by a utopian

view of clothing, employed clear plastic in strategic but limited ways.

Yet the wide bands of transparency used by Cernreich as part of the

attention-grabbing dynamics of modesty versus clothing have become

fbr Versace something f'ar more subtle and unobtrusive. For the 1960s,

after all, plastic was an unrefined material chiefly used in ready-to-wear.

he 1995 dress by Versace is not merely an ingenious,

technology-seizing use of plastic or other new materials, in

the manner of Paco Rabanne, the creative utilizer of unexpected

and technologically advanced substances. It is a veritable 'Crystal Palace',

akin to Joseph Paxton's clear glass building that determined modern

architecture from its creation in 1851. Versace demonstrates that he can

create majestic shape, like a billowing Victorian crinolinc, using the

wholly visible forms of transparent plastic. He treats industrial plastic as

if it were couture's most supple fabric. The handsewing of this tough

material is even more challenging than the demands usually asked of the

couture. [n a floor-length sheath of utmost minimalism, Versacc employs

a plastic contour and side seam with the deliberation of an art.ist dolin-

eating through outline, yet he has reversed the delineating r:lurncnt. f'rom

a black-line presence to the transparent absence. Versacc is f'anriliar with

Pop Art and its f'acility with the black line of cartoons anrl vrrnrar:ular

image, but he has deliberately made his own task the rrrorr: rlif ' l icult one

of in{'erring perimeter line from its absence. Can onc ¡nal<c ¿r sirrrplcr,

barer, clearer exhibition of an aesthetic that allows only thr orrra¡ncnt ol

function? But even this abstract thinking is neccssarily <rorrrpkrncrrlcd in

such an instance by the thought that the see-through track of the

¡¡arment obviates any traditional undergarment. It is revealed that nointerior structure car¡ reinforce - in, let us say, the manner of a Diorrlrcss - what we perceive as the outer structure. Versace uses the plasticlinc to prove that this is a one-layered garment.

'llhe denim-inspired dress in the collection features a martingale backlhat splays into a ballgown fullness at the rear of the skirt. Yet versace'slou,r de force is that there is no superfluity of material at the horizontallirr. of the martingale: its transparency reveals only that the designernrovcs with the subtle graduation of a Grés silk from a body-huggingr¡rinimal dressmaking to the fluidity of the wide skirt. Morcover,llrc transparency of the materials exposes the process of sewing, a

l,ro(,oss that is paradoxically given increased importance because ofits visibility. Versace has chosen to embellish the pure structure with¡¡rlrl itional curvilinear pattern.

he same effect is found in the synergy between the con-summate craft of handsewn finishing and the kind ofvisible machine stitching used in jeans. Arcs and curves of blue

rllrbl<-'-stitching, along with jeans-like pockets that have been trans-firrrcrl from back to front, provide us with an energetic mix of blue jeans¡rrrrl llalenciaga, suggesting on the one hand a rococo sense of ornament¡urrl on the other the colour-contrast stitching of denims. The denim ref-('rcnoo is reinfbrced by the blue colour of the stitching which leavesrlrlilrcrately ambiguous the question as to whether we are looking atlrlrrr:.icans or the blueprint for the glass house.

l,ikc the appropriation of prosaic black wool jersey - the stuff ofHrrrv¿urts' uniforms - to the purposeful poetry of Chanel's little blackrlrrtss

'f'the 1920s, \brsace's gesture turns on the intimacy we have with

,jr,rrrrs and our timidity in the 1990s with respect to couture. In invoking

12

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.j.a.s, versace offers couture to a new prospective client. Like hisAulumn 1996 collection, with its insistent modernism and references to( hrbism and abstract art, Versace is at odds with those who see couture as¿u¡ art of tradition. In this regard, he is on the other side from couturerkrsigners whose consistent aesthetic is one of historicism, setting coutureirrlr t.hc past, often the distant past. on the contrary, what versace doesirr lhis plastic dress and in his Autumn/Winter 1996 couture collectionis l. place couture in the thrall of the progressive and advanced. Admit-lrrrllt, ,1t"r" is risk in this, but versace is a shameless exponent of thc newirrrrl arlventurous.

srr rr:ly we know that in our culture jeans are familiar to evt:ry <:outurer'li.rtl, evcn if couture is not familiar to every jeans-wcarcr. ll 'wr: wouldirr'¡¡rrc in fashion history for the harmony betwecn a cultural r:onfi¿¡ura-lirrr antl the character of clothing, between apparcl anrl Z.ilgr:isl, ourcr¡rrcrrl society would suggest that jeans and coulrrrc rrri¡4hl rrringlc¡¡ l rr l , i l r fact, must coexist and cooperate. To thc a¡rhorisrrr l l r i r l ' ¡ r r :oplewlro l ivc in glass houses shouldn' t throw stoncsl Vrrs¿¡<,r, i ¡ r l ls lJr¿r l i l r ourcr¡llr¡rr' lhcy can't ignore Rolling Stones eithcr.

rar l i t ional ly, and even in mos1. insl¿¡rrr :r :s i . ( )rrr f i r rrcs,l i rshirn designers begin with inn'var i . rrs i r¡ r l r . i r ' l i 'sr rrr l l r . -l i r t ts, r l rvt , ' lop {ans and fbl lowcrs (as c l i r : r r rs) , i r r ¡ r l r ¡ l r i r ¡ r ¡ r r . ly s. l lkr

i l l lo ¡ ¡ sfy lc that is the dcsigner 's t rarkrrrrar l i , wi f l ¡ n¡or l r .s l sr , ¡ ¡solr¿r lcrr f i f r r r r l iorr , ar l . iust ing to fashion t :urrolr ts. Arrry S¡r i r r r l l r . r . ( /Vcr l Yor l t :' l ' i t t t t 's , l f l \4¿rrch 1996) rcmarl<cd of ' a Vrrs¿rr , r , l r rcsr.rr l i r l ion i r ¡ N4i l i r r r ,' ( i i ¡ r r r l r i V ' rs¿rcc cnd<:d thc day with his rrol l t r , l ior¡ . rh,r l i r . ¡ ¡ l r . r l lo . . t r

wonr i ¡n wlrr¡ l is lcns t<l c lassir :a l rnusi<r l ru l r r r r . joys r .or .L. wl¡o rc¿rr ls' l ' l t t ' l \ t ' t t ' Yt t r l ter ¿r l r r l ( la lv ino hut carr l l¿¡vc a l i r r rg l r r r l ¡ ¡ossi¡ry r , l r rorr i r : lcs,

wlrr ¡ r rLrr .s wcirr i r rg Vrrsar: . wi lh ( la lv i ¡ r l ( lc i r r . j . r r r rs,r .V' l .s¡rr , r , . i r ,¿u¡s

wi l l r ¡ ¡ ( l l r ¡ t t rc l , j i t r r l<cl . " l f ' l l ra l sor¡rrr ls l i l i , r : ¿r ¡ ru 'sorur l ¡ r r l l i r r r r r l l rc l l i ¡c l i of '

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'l'|rc IYew York Reuietu of Books, it could be because Mr. Versace is notsctting up housekeeping with clients who have married him in the past;hc is always courting someone new.' Spindler rightly understands thatVcrsace is always hunting for the new client, but not by obsequiousingratiation. Rather, he is a most uncompromising designer, but one whorlcvelops and expands in the public arena of the fashion runway showand in the even larger arena of popular contemporary culture, alwayslinding new fascinations in the world around him. \/ersace's energy isfamous; he makes it clear both as a designer and as a human being thathe prizes life. Versace has been as unexpected as an actor trying out newroles, sometimes Shakespeare, sometimes opera, sometimes movies;sometimes even blue movies.

ne of Versace's leitmotifs is sex. His slipdresses clingmore with less material than almost anyone else's. His

plunging décolletages have always nosedived toward thenavel. His tight dresses and tailoring have slowed at every f'emale curve.His lace inserts and bare apertures - learned in large part fromCrés, Vionnet and other designers of the 1930s - inject not merelybody's presence, but body's titillation. In menswear, Versace's eroticsare equally evident. Spindler (New York Times,2 JuJy 1996) states theobvious in commenting, 'Of course, Mr. Versace has always made hismen's wear message a deeply erotic one...'Arguably, eros is a fund-amental impulse in dress as both self-expression and socialization andVersace is one of the most honest designers in letting clothing serve asan overt aphrodisiac. Likewise, licence and a touch of licentiousnessinhabit his favoured photographs. Richard Avedon, Herb Ritts, BruceW'eber and other photographers have created images that complementthe inherent sensuality and sexual charge of Versace's clothing. Mostimportantl¡ Versace is never coy about the intrinsic sexuality in his

15

Ydesign or in his life. His own lusty appreciation for sexuality as a partof life differentiates him from demure, timid designers who would liketo unleash the power of bodies, but cannot. Versace is a liberator for con-temporary sexuality and sensuality. From the same root he is affiliatedwith music and media, twins of the contemporary libido and physicalanimation. He understands and acknowledges fashion's mediaphilic rolein our culture.

Versace has said of himself, 'I don't care for half-measures. I believe inmaking clear-cut choices.' Versace's fashion is about such bold andunequivocal choices. Unafraid of being denounced by the insufferablypolite and fearful, he makes deliberate and wilful fashion to be wornonly by those who share with the designer a desire for risk, an honestyabout sexuality and sensuality, and a self-confidence in aesthetic choice.Gianni Versace is brave of heart in a timid time. He is true to resplen-dent, bold, eye-scorching, body-arousing beauty in an indifferent andugly era.

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Chronology

1946 fJorn on 2 I)eccnrber in Rcggio Calabria, ltal1.

1972 Starts working as a designer in Mi lan, a l ier an l ¡ r ¡ r r t r r l icr ' ' l r i ¡ , ¡ r l r " , . , r1, , ,

dressrn aki ng establi shrnent.

1975 Shows his first lcather collcction lbr Cornplir:c.

I97B Shows his f irst col loct ion for womcn under his ()wl l rr ;r trrr ' .

19Í12 f)osigrrs costunres lbr a Jrrot luct ion of l l ichard Slrat¡"s's lnl lel . l t , ' t l , l t t ' ; , ' t , t 'at l,a Scala, Ttaly.

L)esigns costumes f i r r a prodrrct ion oI Custav i \ l¿r l l l r , r ' " l r r r l l r ' l / , i , ' / , t t t t , l I ' ¡ ' l

Designs costumcs lbr product ions of Donizct t i 's l ) tnr l \ rsr¡ t t , t l , ' : r l I r r l " r l ¡

tht-' b¿llet Dyoniscts, dirccted by NTaurice lléjart.

Versacc gives a conlerence at t l re Cianni Yt , ¡sact¡ l , ] rh i l r i l ion rr l l l r r ' \ r , l , , r r r

and Albcrt Museunr. London.

Thc l ta l ian Prcsident rnakt:s Versacc a ' f lomnrand¿¡1o¡t" r ¡ l l l r r ' l l : r l i : r ¡ ¡

Ropubl ic. Rctrospect ivo exhi l r idon of the last t t rn vt 'ars ol r l ts igrr l r rL ' ¡ ' l ' r ' '

at the National !'ield Niluseurn, Chicago.

Prcsented with the'( ] rande Médai lk¡ de Vermci l dc l¿ Vi lh ' t l r ' I ' r r r i ' l , t

. lacques Chitac, on the c¡c<:asion of thc exhibi t ion ' l ) iakrgrr , 's t l , ' r r r , , , l ' '

which examines thc t lose wotking relat ionship betwt ' t : l l l l tc t l , ' . igrr , r ' , r , ,1

leading fashion photographers (Avr:don, Nowton, Perrrr , r : l r ' . ) . l ) r 's ip.rr"

oostumes f i r r the bal lct Lo Métomorphr¡se des dieux bv , \ r r r l r ' , " \ l , r l r ' , r , , .

(rhoreography by Maurir:e Béiart).

I )csigns costumes lbr produ<:t ions of Sr¿ftrne by Ri t rhard Slr i t t tss. r r i l l r 1. , ; "

dcsign by Bob Wilson, and Béjart's I'erlo et le Cygne ¡nd Sot¿t'r'rrir ,/,

[,eníngrod.

Rocsives thc 'Maschera l ) 'Argento' (Golden Mask) f i r r h is r , r r l t i l r r r l iorr l , '

thcatre.

Ituhlication oI the booh [/ersoce T'eotro lry Frarrco Maria llir:r,i" , ¡rr, ,¡| ;r , , r r,

o l t i t les dcdicated to Versace's.rvorh in tbc rvor ld of th l 'atrc ai l r l l r rs l r i , ' r r .

f )esigns costunrcs lorZiz i Joanm¿ire 's most recent rcci ta l at t l l r ' l l r ¡ r ¡ l l r ' ' r l r ¡

Nord theatre, Par is, and lbr h is bal let Jauo h'c¡reuer at the Opí ' r r r ( ,ot t t i , ¡ , , , '

l l l r - 'c ted the wor ld 's rnost creat ive ant l innovat ivc dcsigner lor r t ¡ r ' r r l r l l l r , '

'Cuttv Sark ' iury.

Arobesqtu:. fersoctis designs sedtuz the. plntogapher in searchof'a beu.ul.ilil imuge. Ithoto: Rilhttrd '4uedon. Au.lunn/Winl.er CoLlection199:J-94. A Art:hit:es Gian.n.i, l/ersoce.

1983

t9B4

1985

l9B6

1987

I9BB

7:l

1992

t989 Oprrrrs thc 'Atc l ier \ ,ursacr, ' , a studio I i r r thc r :n '¿rt ion of \ 'crsactr h¿t l l t ' t 'ot¡ t t r r t '

dcsigns.

[)osigns ccrslrlnes lirr a productiot't ¡¡1 1)t*kt Éi¿¿¿s1 dilctfed bv I]ob \\'i lsorl"

¿rncf f i r r l ló jar t 's ¡ r rodrr t : t ion' , r l ( ' l t t i ¡ , t Zul t t Lt¡ ,1 l i l , 'g i .e pour l i l . le.

Pnrsents his ncn vorurg fashion l int"Versrrs ' , l iasct l on mclr t , in lbrm¿l tht l t r l t :s .

f990 ' l 'hc San i r .anr: isr :o Opcra opcns i ts strasorr u, i th a produc{ ion o1 I l ich¡rd

199 |

Straus-.'s (kqtriu'itt rvith t:osturntr-. bv Vt:rsat:e.

Erhibi t ion 'Vcrsacc' l 'catro ' a l the Royal [ io l lcgt ' o l \ r1, l ,ondon.

I)csigns ( t rstunrc-q Ior Wi l l ianr l -orsvthe'-" bal lcts in l i r ¡n l<l i r r1.

Rct:eivcs lhc 'Otr t : l r io d 'Oro' an'ard lor thc f i rur th t inr t l '

f 'uhlishcs fcrn.il.ru, It¡ sti.l¡: &'i scrtsi, the first in a nt'rv seri(:s of ¿rnntral

volu¡rcs.

Thc 'Vcrsar:o: Signattrres ' rctr t tsJrccl . iv t : cxhibi t ion oPctts at thc F¿rshiolr

Tnsl . i tutc of ' lbchnologv ( l i . I . ' l ' . ) , Nr,rv Yor l<.

[ ) ¡s igns stagt 'costurncs lb l Lhu uor ld tour ol l ' ] l1on. loIrn, onc ol Vt l t 'sar:c 's

grcatcsl adnt i rcrs.

f993 Arvart lcd a lashion Osr:ar bv thr ' ( loL¡nci l of l iasl ' r ion I - ) r :s igrrcrs of ' \ r t t r , r t t :a.

l )csigns t 'ostunlcs lbr l3t l iar t 's bal let S¿ssi I ' int¡xt t túr i r ' ' ( !nt t r ( l t i \ l t "

l ,¿runcl t t :s 'J lorrr¡ Signal t t te ' . ¿t t l t rw l i l r t ' o l ¿r<:c<:ssor i t ls l i r r tht : horr t t l '

lgg4' ' fhc 'Vr-r 'satr ' : Sigrralrrres ' rct . r t tspt ' t : t iv t l crhi l t i l i , 'n o¡r l t ls i t1 l l t r '

l ( t t t tstgervcrbcmrtst turn, l l t r r l i l r .

f 995 Versacc st)orrs()r ,s an cr l ¡ ib i t ion ol thc worh of thc photographt- ' r l l i t rharr l

Avedon in \Ti la l l . Dcsigns costul l rcs fbr a nen pro<lrrct iorr bv thc i \ rnel i l l l t

l la l lc t ' l 'he¿trc, l l rn. t ' NetLr I lea*: t t , chorcographct l hv Tuvla ' Iharp'

I 996 Opening of ' \ !c l rcrVersat:c\ iaggiVogtrr : ' " { l r t , f i rst t ' rh ib i l ion oI ¡ rhotographo'

lJnrce S"t 'ber 's norh in l ta ly, s¡rot tsored bv Versat l t ' .

lggT f )r.sigrrs (:ostunrcs lbr a new ballct chorcographt,tl by Ríjart, ['<'Prest41.i:rc n'a

rien peru!u. de ytn t:lmrnre n.i le.jttrdin. de st¡n. éclol; with nrtrsic by N'lozart and

thc pop group Quecn.

I 'r:rsrttr"s tnrtl irttts presartt l lrc ¡i lrrttrtpttt¡úcr tt ' i t . l t. u tronderfit l o¡tporturtit.)

Itt rettntt ib ntol 'uttull ttttr l rc¡tost'.

I ' lroto: I\rug Onltroy. Sprin¡:,/Strnnter ()i l lctt ion I 991.((l) . lrr ' l i i lcs (] iunni I arsutt '-

bt

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Versace

The fomily. At the very cenke of Versoce's work, the fomiy provides muiuoisuppol ond o sense of solidorily. 11 wos, ofter oll, hls moiher who introducedhim io ihe loys of foshion design. Photo: Alfo Castoldi, I 92ó. @ ArchivesGionni Versoce.

The relotionship behveen Gionnl Versoce ond his sister Donotelo is one of¿¡ ¡ f .n.o inr SFo . , ¡ ta rn -r . - ,n l i - ln¡ lo nr.qo ñ.ñ . . lcs i ¡ ror '^ rer o¡ nr ight . Lef t , phofo: Steven Me se. Right, pholo: l rv ing Penn. O Archives Gionni

versoce.

Visuol impoct, femole impoct. Al though o pholo tcken in l983 by Richord

Avedon sels women on o pedestol, Versoce prefers o womon who relles for herpower soley on hersef by iuxtoposing bold lorms: ivey onimo prinis,

moscu ine lrousers ond iocket. A Bruce Weber shot for the Autumn/Winter

Coleclion 1989-90 shows thol o Versoce skirt mlght we 1 be o unlsexgormenl of clossic simplicity. @ Archives Gionni Versoce.

The metoll ic dress. n co loborotion with the phoiogropher Richord Avedon,

Versoce hos creoted o new composil lonol style for portroying foshion, thesuccessof to the iroditionol group photogrophs presenling ihe stor items of ocolleclion. The sensuo ond fluid fobric used in these metoll ic dresses hosbecome one of Versoce's fovourites since the first dress of thls k¡nd oppeoredin the Aufumn/Winler Col leci ion l982 83. @ Archlves Gionni Versoce.

Aesihetic l i fe. Untiringly upto-dote, Versoce olso oiir ibules greot vo ue io lhe

unlimiled pleosures of o rich ond vorled oesthetic ife, fu of references ioclossicism, the Renoissonce ond the Boroque. His ¡nteresl in the post ond inlhe history of ol in generol is visible everywhere. Left, photo. Bruce Weber.

Right, phoio by Helmut Newton, token from Versoce's home on lhe shores ofLoke Como. @ Archives Gionni Versoce.

A toste for potlern. Two florol pofiern dresses des gned severo yeors oporrl l uskote the modernily of lhe Versoce slyie. Left, phoio: Sieven Meise,

Spr ing/Summer Col lect ion 1995. Right, photo: Richord Avedon,

Spr ing/Summer Col lect ion l9BB. @ Archlves Gionni Versoce.

ffifil #fliffi'*:¿i*:tr*H#ü"''e=.:":'1;

Shope. Herb Rifis's photogrophs beoutifu ly convey Versoce's fovourlle gome

of olternoiely veil ing ond unveiLing the body. Foscincted by the thiri ies ond on

odmirer of Vionnet ond Grés, ihe designer is odept ot expoil ing lhe conlrosl

between ortfuly reveoled skin ond gcrmenl. The skil l of the phologropher ond

lhe olternoling poy of open ond closed shopes much fovoured by lhe designer

give rise io ihese houniing imoges. Autumn,/Winler Collection l99l 92.

@ Archives Gionni Versoce.

Functionol elegonce. Encouroged by the modern convicilon ihot beouty is

born of simple expressions of funciion, Versoce creotes dresses thoi ore elegonf

ond eosy lo weor. The zip fostener is olwoys in the midd e ond to the froni, but

i l creoles the some effeci cs o slripe or c zip in on obstfoct pointing by Bornetl

Newmon. Drowing: Mois Gusiofson. @ Artist A+C Anthology.

Pholo: Sleven Meisel. @ Artisl A+C Anthology.

Toiol look. Although Verecce oflen envisoges oufits os seporoies, he dlsploys

on obsolule moslery of sty e ond the motching of co ours. Accessories p oy

on imporlont role jn his wor ld. Lef t , photo: l rv ing Penn, Spr ing/Summer

Co leclion I 99 L O Archlves Gionnl Versoce. Righl, 'Roge de Vert'.

@ Vogue, Februory 199ó, Jeon Boptiste Mondino.

Ornoments. Phoio: l rv ing Penn, Spr ing/Summer Col lect ion 1992. @ Archives()i<rrni Versoce. Versoce's bustiers seem io be inspired by moderndoy bothing( ()s|,mes os much os by 1 8ih-century courtly dress. The ornomenlol slrops,vir;ib o in Steven Meisel's photo for the Spring,/Summer Colleciion 1995, conlx: sccn os lhe functionol sirops of o bothing costume or os Rococo-slyle() l l rofnenl . @ Archives Gionni Versoce.

A toste for spectocle. Left, fu I'skited gown deslgned os o coslume for!,tttvcv¡it de Leningrod, o Mourice Bé1orl boLlet sioged in l98l. O Archives( i onrrl Versoce. Right, photo: Sleven Meise . Spring/Summer Co ection 1994.( t ) Art :h ives Gionni Versoce.

Theotre meeis foshion. Versoce ollows his imaginollon free reln. He shows

rro l rosi lo l ion 1n odorning o sociely womon, suppor ied by spendid mole

rrrryrr l lds, ln o dress wi lh on oulrogeously wlde cr inol ine. Florol pot terns,

, l r , r ¡ rx l coshmere ond inspirol ion f rom lhe l Zth century ol l wenl ln lo th is

.r, lurno cTeoled lor Souvenir de Leningrod. Drowing: Weber. @ Archives( l r rnrr l Versoce.

Wrunr l]*v

/iF*'

É

76 77

Concepl ond theotre. The impocl of form, boih in imoges ond ihe iheoke' octs

os o dvnomic impetus on Versoce. His cosiume designs for operos' bolJets ond

rhe fheotre verge ot l imes on foshlon His iosle for spiri ied performonce o]lows

h¡m to toke h¡s ideos on foshion 1o iheir logicol conclusion flowevef proclccl

ond ugtodot" he moy be, Versoce wil l olwoys remoin ond ideo isl Pholo

Sleven Meisel. @ Archlves Gionni Versoce.

Glomour. In the mid- l99Os, Versoce used the br i l l lonce ond glomour ol

new motericls for his deslgns EltonJohn ls one of his folthful odmirers Versoce

creoled o number of hls stoge outflts os well cs lhe sets for his 1992 World

Tour. Pholos: Richord Avedon. Spring/Summer Colleclion I 995 ono

Spring/Summer Collection '199ó

@ Archives Gionni Versoce'

Sensuolity of fobric. Thonks to lhe use of sensuol fobrics, ihe Auiumn/Winter

CollectjoÁ )994 95 hugged lhe shope of the body Presenled by the iop

models of the time, the coLJection wos photogrophed by Mlchel Comie in

Versoce's presilgious fosh¡on house. @ Archives Gionni Versoce

Sensuolity of form. Coptured in rnotion by lhe comero, lhe evening dresses

of the mid-l 99Os ore evocollve of modern donce The supple ond fluid forms'

which often goin from being cul enlirely on ihe bios, clinglo ihe body'

tronsmitl ing l i", po*"r. of seluctjon with no need for superfluous ornoment'

The purily of l ine gives ihe designs lheir conlemPorory looK

Photos: Richord Avedon. @ Archives Gionni Versoce

Donotello Versoce, the muse, is olso co-designer of the Versus lobel'

Photogrophed by Helmut Newlon on the shores of Loke Como' Doncie lo'

the icón of l iolion foshion, weors o dTess from ihe Prét'd-Porter Colleclion

if, ing/Sumt", 1995. The irnoge is on ihe borderJine between lrodil ion

ond modernism. @ Archives Gionni Versoce'

A* ond foshion. Bruce Weber's ofi istic imoges for Versoce ore evidence of -

ihe loter's undying foith in ort ond beouty He ploys ogoin wiih,ihe porodigms

of eorlier mosterpieces, moved by o pcssionote conviciion lhot beculy is sti l l 1o

U"il.ou","¿, creoted through foshion Life ]mitotes od, nol lo cchleve orlif ice

bul to oltoln beouly. @ Archives Gionni Versoce'

Versoce's sensibil i ty tends lowords o conlinui! of closslcism Hls references

lo Neoclossicism ore frequent, os in this phologrcph by Bruce Weber' bui he

olso derives his inspirolion from the work of contemporory ortisfs such os lu ion

Schnobel. Left, o work byJulion Schnobel execrted for Gionni Versoce'

Right, photo: Bruce Weber' @ Archives Gionni Versoce'

Pottern ond colout Vr rr l " ly r r l ln r l l ( ' r r i " ' r r ' l r l l l " rn ' : " ' l " r l l r r r | - ! : ¡ ;

sñle. Flc: l r ,* , ly i l l r twr t t r"1 ' l t ' t l i ' r r r l lL r l r r l I l l r r t r ' ' r r"r l l r ! t ' t r ' ' ¡ i ¡ i r r"r l i i " i l - r ¡

tásedent l ru ly, , r , l ry¡u ' r l " '1" l l i t ' l r ' lJr ' l l r r ' l / ' " l " r ' ' l ! r i r ! l ' ! " ' ¡ r r i ' ; ' '

é . fb. t . " lóqO.Ai¡( l r iv | r ' ( t l r r r r r iL V.r ' r r" ' l ' l r l l l l ¡ l l r r r r r t t r { l rYFE'[ ' - ! |

Gionni Versoce

Moscul ine/ feminine Vetso<'o ' rx ' t l l l l " l l l ' t l " ' r ' r ' r l t l7r l ' l ' r r ¡ r l i ¡ l ' ¡ r r ' tL ' r r t r ' l

, ; ; ; . . ' ; ; ; . . - " ' . " rcoui 'h 'h ' " , ' , ' t l " ¡ r"r " r"

, ' ' ' ' , " ' l " ' ' " ' '

ond oowerl , ' , o"d lon s ' tot j ' r r ' ' l r ' r " r I r ' r ' l l r l r r"r Lr ' l t " l " ' r ' r '

i lJ" / i ; t ; " ;éol letr lon 1Q"9o Rl '1 l r t ' 1r l r , r ' ' l l r r r ' "W"l u ' t

" ¡ ' t t r r ' ¡ """""" t

Cor l" i ' 'on 199ó @ Ar-hrres 6:n ' " '

! r " ' r "

HouieCouture.TheArel ierCol lect ion(: i l l r r r l r r l ( l lJ( / ) { r r r . r r l r " r r l r r l r "v ' r ' ' ¡ "

; ' ; ;J ; ; ; . . r ture in which he odds to l r i r ' ( ) l l r . r i r ) r /1" r / " / ' r " ' l ' i r '1 '

t ronl l nqoi noe,o's S"or l j rq55o5i1"p ' l l '1 ." ' l ' " ' r r ' ' ' r r r ' ' l " r ' l r l

' * . . 'Ol" t io poo, .g or roce Lr^w;se t bol lgown rr"r" l l ' A ' r ' r r ' r "1"

éáf i " . i . . lqqr-s2lnpolyvinylchlor ide(PV(-) l ' r . r l l ' r ' l r r ' r ' , ' l ' " ' r ' r r ' | r r I r ' r l "

, " j ,ñ" . " r , . r r" .n" of p lo, i l t '19ó5,

o Melro¡xr l i l i t r r Mrrr¡ ' t r r r r " l Ar l

Eleocnceondvi to l i ty (o^ ' lo1l ' 'otoeof \ ' ¡ ' ¡ . ¡ ¡"¡¡ " ' ¡ l ' ' ' "1 ' r ' r " ' l

; : : ; " ; " ; ; ; ; : ; ' i " " -g"d;""" 'wh'chro 1; rvrr ' r "w ¡" ' ¡ " '7r"r "

r r '

seem lo creole i t . l hus, even on evening dtess t lcs i ' ¡ r r ' " l l r r l ¡ l r l ¡ r l t r r r , r 1rLrrr

" r

on no,ed evptess rg oost ion ord e^Jbelo"e i l r r l t r " [ ' ( l r r r l ' r ' r rY ! r r r " L l

Á; ; i ; ; .Á. forosth"edesigner isconcerned'movor lorr l ' r r r ' l l ' t ' | ' r l r t ' ' l r I t " r r

musl l ie oi ihe loundol ion of the gorment OArchives Okrrr t r i V" l ' ' l ' "

The meoning of the imoge rn o conPorir io l evor r \J r l r r : , : " ' r ' ¡ ' t ' r ' " l ' ' . ' " ' r l

6¡6¡;rs6ture.-b. 'wlhrheoidor f g- 'e l 'unnrtnd'essc"r¡r I i r ' r r I l r " r r r r r r '

Versoce con , es up w|h | ' nodels or rmoge o' MoÜr' l ( ) l " r ' ' r

"

Pnoto. R.croio Aredor ' @ Atcn ves G orni Ver 'oce

Foshion ond music Versoce hos o greol oppfeclot ion o{,1lr t r" l t r r r l r r l I ' i l

musicol performonces, whelher opefo oÍ focl ' by lr ncc' I l lr rrr lr )rrrr I r

Modonno. No top designer hos invesled os much os he l r t ' r r r t I | ¡ r r l r r l I

;r* ;t ñi. in,.n,,"¿ Avedon, Aulumn/Winler Collcx:l lrrr lt)t) ) ' ') '1

n,gh,, phoio' Bruce Weber' @ Archlves Gionni Versoce

Contemporory ort l im Dine is one of lhe or i ls ts wi th whott l Vorr ' r r r I r r r r r r r r l r l r r"

o i ru i t f r l ' f r "ndrnlp.

He drows inspi fo i ion f rom,his wor l ' otrr I t l ' ' ' t r " l l t r l " ' r r r

; ; ; ;ot h 'sooi 'y ' i le s-ce Drne I ra lu ' io l Schron^l r"r ' ¡ ' r 'u1" " I

' i :-,9l.J.ñ;;" ', Ñti* v-r home Pholo: Richord Avedorr' I; l)r rrir l"rrrrrrrr ' 'r

é. i i " . iá. iSqZ @Archives Gionni Versoce Detoi l of o ¡xr l t r l t11¡ l ry l t r r l ) t t t '

@ Archives Gionni VersoceffiHto

79

Captions translated frorn the French by Ruth Taylor

The publishers wish to thank the Maison Versace for its assistance in producing this

book and in particular Gianni and Donatella Versace, Patricia cucco and Sylvia Rossi.

Thanks are due also to Elton John and The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.

Thanks to Richard Avedon, Bruce Weber, Irving Penn, Herb Ritts, Helmut Newton,

Steven Meisel, Jean-Baptiste Mondino, Mats Gustafson, Doug Ordway, Massimi Listri,

Michel Comte, Alfa Castaldi, Thierry Perez.

In - addition to Stephanie Seymour, Linda Evangelista, Helena Christensen,

Claudia Schiffer, Amber Valletta, Cindy Crar+{ord, Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell,

Shalom, Kirsten Mc Nemany, Nadége, Karen Mulder and Nadja Auermann.

Lastly, this book could not have been produced without the valuable assistance of

Rosanna Sguerra (Art t Commerce), Jeff Sowards (Michel Comte Inc.), Chris (Yannick

Morisot), as well as Sabine Killinger (Elite), Jean-Marc (Marilyn Agency), Cathy Queen(Ford NY) and Deanna Cross (Metropolitan).

Our thanks to them all.