What’s unique about Versace is the fact that it’s just as much a part of pop culture as the celebrities it dresses—and much of the credit for that goes to its bleach-blonde leader, Donatella Versace, who has set celebrity dressing deep into the brand’s roots. But in 2022, Versace’s status as an aspirational, celebrity-focused brand has taken on new meaning. It’s also become a popular label to shop at resale; young people looking for a bit of fashion escapism are snapping up fabulously Baroque, ostentatious homages to more glamorous days gone by. You can count on one hand the number of fashion houses that enjoy the name recognition that Versace does. Today, under the leadership of Donatella Versace—just as in the ’80s and ’90s when the brand was run by her brother Gianni—it is a universal symbol of all that is glamorous and decadent.
While others have made additional parallels between the mythology of Medusa and the Versace brand, Versace themselves have given little backstory regarding the origin of the emblem. Gianni Versace chose Medusa as the logo because she made people fall in love with her and they had no way back. The logo came from the floor of ruins in the area of Reggio Calabria that the Versace siblings played in as children. This would be the most recent change to the Versace symbol (as of the publication of this article). However, the colouring and layout would continue to vary from product to product.
After Gianni’s premature death, the brand was taken over by his two siblings, Donatella and Santo Versace. Tragically, in 1997, tragedy struck both Versace as a brand and Gianni Versace personally. On July 15, 1997, Gianni was shot and killed outside his Miami home by Andrew Cunnan.
It won’t be a lie to say that Versace created supermodels by paying them enormous amounts of money for each fashion show. It is a popular fact that Gianni Versace was a close friend with many celebrities and royalties, including Princess Diana, Elton John, Cher, Michael Jackson and Madonna. The growth of the brand beyond Gianni Versace is a testament to the resilience of the Versace brand identity.
After a lengthy leave from Gianni Versace SpA, Donatella reemerged to assume the roles of chief designer and vice president of the board. She also obtained a 20 percent stake in the company, while Allegra Versace Beck—her daughter with Paul Beck—received 50 percent. Donatella’s brother, Santo, received the remaining 30 percent, and her son, Daniel Paul Beck, was willed no portion of the company upon Gianni’s death. The storied and intricate past of the Versace brand (and by extension, their logo) details an inspired artist who was able to leverage a brand to become an international fashion and design icon. The hotel is evocative of an Italian Palazzo and Versace’s Milanese heritage and signature luxury are immediately evident and fully immersive.
It is styled with inspiration from ancient greek design, invoking a timeless and graceful design similar to the garments worn by those featured in Greek mythology. Santo became the new CEO while Donatella became the brand’s new creative director. During this time, the brand declined in popularity, and profits soon followed, resulting in CEOs’ rotation over several years. Ultimately, all CEO’s who departed the Gianni Versace company cites disagreements between them and the Versace family as the reason for departure.
Her direction turned out such creations as a green dress worn by Lopez at the Grammy Awards ceremony in 2000. As artistic director and vice president, Versace advanced the company’s image through her public relations skills and confident design direction. After her brother’s death, she significantly increased the company’s exposure in markets across the globe and enhanced its reputation. Advertising efforts grew in Europe and the U.S. as Versace attached the faces of Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and other stars to the Versace line. Such connections put her in high social esteem, with people such as Sir Elton John, Kate Moss, and Prince Charles attending her parties. Donatella Versace (born May 2, 1955, Reggio Calabria, Italy) is an Italian fashion designer whose roles at Gianni Versace SpA included vice president and artistic director and whose contributions—business and artistic—furthered the company’s sophisticated high-end image.
From large hospital donations to manufacturing hand sanitiser, fashion’s biggest names are mobilising to curb the spread of Covid-19. In 1972, Gianni Versace designed his first collections for Callaghan, Genny, and Complice. “@taylorswift, you always shine in Versace,” Versace captioned a handful of recent Eras Tour photos. Medusa’s head, depicted as a lovely woman with flowing hair and remarkable features, serves as the piece’s focal figure.
Versace also led the company through a design reinvention after her brother’s death in 1997. This task required her to remove herself from Gianni’s inspirations and stylings—one of her biggest challenges as artistic director, by her own account. She sought to make the Versace look her own and, in doing so, gained the fashion house critical acclaim and a reputation for sophistication, especially in women’s fashion.
marquitakelley4138 