The talent of Gianni Versace: designer, couturier and marketer

“Fashion should be capricious and extravagant” was the thought of one of the most famous couturiers of the last century – Gianni Versace. 

Eccentric and vulgar baroque kitsch for some, bright and truly extraordinary for others, his style brilliantly combined sophistication with extravagance, setting new fashion standards, and by the end of the eighties his innovative collections were enthusiastically worn by all the top celebrities of the time. 

The son of an atelier owner, born in the small town of Reggio di Calabria, mastered the art of tailoring at a young age. At the age of twenty-six he was actively working on the creation of collections for the Italian brand Byblos. Five years later he decided to start his own brand, which immediately attracted attention thanks to its bold ideas. For example, in the early eighties, Gianni Versace, inspired by the wire mitts of butchers, created his famous metal mesh, which he used to make dresses. He has always been open to experimenting with materials, treating silk with high temperatures or exposing it to acid to create unique textures.

In general, if you look closely at the star of the fashion king’s path, it is hard not to notice the amazing ability to express oneself, the lack of boundaries of imagination and an incredible love of life. This is what allowed Gianni to never stop at what has been achieved and with great excitement to challenge his own abilities. Yes, you had to work hard, but the result always bore fruit. 

Thus, in 1982, the fashion designer received the L’Occhio d’Oro award for his famous collection of shining “metallic” clothes. She was beautiful and intriguing, but only weighed so much for a woman’s outfit. Then Versace conducted a series of developments to create an innovative material oroton – a knitted fabric with brass and aluminum inlay.

Having an incredible passion for art in all its manifestations, Gianni Versace also skillfully approached the issue of shows. A born marketer was able to turn the activities of the Versace fashion house into a real cultural trend, which made a sensation and easily broke all the usual foundations, stereotypes, and each show of a new collection turned into a loud event. That, in fact, could not fail to attract the attention of journalists, who spread the glory all over the world at a lightning pace. 

Ballet dancers, musicians, real theatrical productions and scripts written by his own hand: all this became a distinctive highlight of the brilliant Versace brand. 

It should be noted that the concept of “supermodel” also appeared thanks to Gianni. At a time when competitors were making do with four top models and long-term contracts in their shows, Gianni Versace had 16 of them and 2 times higher salary. 

During the last seven years of his life, the fashion maestro offered the fashion industry concepts that are still considered important symbols of the 90s: crimson jackets combining elements of dandyism and mafia chic, the idea of wearing leggings in combination with high heels and multicolored shirts with ornaments.

Gianni Versace was able to bring a new level of luxury and style to the fashion industry, becoming a legend and a source of inspiration for many generations of designers, and his unique vision of fashion extends far beyond mere design, leaving an unforgettable mark on the world of art and fashion.

And if today someone heard the phrase of the founder of the world-famous Versace brand “I was always looking for perfection, but I never found it”, he would surely find something to contradict the maestro, wouldn’t he?