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The name of Gianni Versace has become iconic in the last few decades of the last century. This fashion designer has become the personification of chic in everything, from fashion collections to interior design with the brand logo of Medusa Rondanini, the main symbol and pattern with which all fans of high fashion identified Versace.
And this story began long before the XXI century. The history began in 1978 when a young and promising couturier of Italian origin named Gianni Versace simply blew up the fashion community with his revolutionary ideas. So let’s see at Gianni Versace’s lifetime in a glance.
Who is Gianni Versace? That question has a definite answer for millions of people worldwide. The couturier with a tremendous but tragic life path became a real icon in the late 90s but even a decade before his personality was a real cult without a doubt.
The real name of that person was Giovanni Maria Versace and he was born in December 1946 in a family of Francesca Versace who was a tailor. So the future life path of young Gianni was predicted long before. In the Versace family, he was a middle child having an older brother Santo and his younger sister Donatella, a person who personifies the brand today, after the tragic death of genius Gianni. There was one more child in the Versace family named Tina who died at a young age. The family was living in the Reggio di Calabria town in Southern Italy.
Gianni started his career in his mother’s atelier where he was a handyman who hemming pants and skirts. At the same time, Gianni studied the history of Ancient Greece, including the Ancient Greek language. It was this knowledge that played a big role in his solo career as a designer. He also was fond of studying Roman architecture and Latin and later he studied architectural drafting. After a few years of working in his mother’s atelier, young but ambitious Gianni became a buyer and started visiting fashion shows throughout Europe seeking for new fabrics accessories and ideas for his mother. That was a good start for his career because the main clientele of Francesca Versace was Calabrian beau monde and Gianni from his young years got acquainted with the atmosphere of posh and luxury.
Till he was 26, he was working in the atelier developing new models of skirts and mastered cutting and sewing techniques. Thanks to this preparation, already in 1972,
Verace released several collections as a guest designer. In the same year, he moved to Milan, one of the largest fashion centers in the world. Here the young designer came to the attention of the owners of the Florentine Flowers brand, who asked him to quickly develop a collection of summer clothes. The success of the collection was overwhelming, and for Gianni, it was not only the first step on the path to wealth but also the starting step in his worldwide career. After the overwhelming success of that collection, Milan finally confirmed its title of the fashion capital, and Italian brands began to use the personalities of designers to promote fashion collections. And the credit for this clearly belongs to Gianni Versace.
The next step was his work for Byblos. For this brand, he designed few collections as for other direction of the Genny fashion house completely sewn from leather and suede - a rarity for the Italian fashion of the time. And in 1974 he finally released his own collection called Complice. This was not yet the beginning of the empire of Gianni Versace, but he had already acquired certain independence.
Do you know what Italian business is famous for? Of course, it is a family approach! It was the family clans in Italy that became successful in all areas, be it the mafia, wine production or the fashion industry. This happened in the case of Gianni Versace. Six years have passed since he left his mother's home and settled in Milan. By that time, it had already become clear that a successful career as a designer was not far off. And in order to create your own brand, you need a strong team. Gianni's first assistant was his older brother Santo. He had just graduated from the university and received a degree in business administration, so his knowledge was very useful for creating the Versace empire. A couple of years later, their younger sister, Donatella, the current head of the Versace house, joined them as a creative director and her husband became an executive director of the menswear department.
Already in early 1978, Versace opened his first store in Milan. Surprisingly, the store was opened before the designer released at least one collection under his own name, so for the first few months, the boutique's assortment consisted of items from the collections of Complice, Byblos and other brands developed by him.
Subsequently, when the number of boutiques grows to tens and hundreds, Versace's business concept will remain unchanged: he will continue to independently control all processes, from the selection and purchase of fabrics to delivery to branded boutiques. By the way, a large part of Versace stores around the world operate under a franchise - and this is also a feature of Gianni Versace's business.
And the first collection under the Versace brand was released in March 1978. It has been shown at the Milan Art Museum. After that, the success went on increasing, but for about 10 years Versace was little known outside Italy.
In 1981, the brand expanded its range and began producing perfumes, and a year later, jewelry, accessories, glasses and even interior products were added to the range of Versace products.
And only in 1989, with the show in Paris, the real Versace mania begins, which will sweep the whole world and make Gianni Versace a cult figure in the fashion world.
The first Versace boutiques appeared outside Italy in 1991. First, a store was opened in Glasgow, Scotland, as well as the first American representation of the brand. Today the number of Versace brand stores totals more than one and a half thousand.
By the way, America has become for Versace one of the main markets for promoting its products. And it's not just that Versace's style was the best fit for the American dream, but bright colors and solid images became symbols of the luxury of the West Coast. Versace's American history began with a collaboration with the San Francisco Theater. As at La Scala a few years earlier, the designer created very bright and extravagant costumes for the performances. And in the same place Versace's friendship with one of the cult theatrical figures - Maurice Béjart - was born.
The head of Medusa Rondanini, an ancient statue, has been used as a symbol of the Versace brand for over 30 years. This choice was not at all accidental. It intertwined Gianni Versace's youthful love for ancient Greek culture, the history of his native region of Calabria, where ancient Greek settlements used to be, and the use of antique motifs in Versace's work itself. For example, as part of his work with Callaghan, he designed a dress similar to the toga of the ancient Greeks. It was represented at the runway shows by the famous 70s fashion model Verushka.
Having decided to found his own brand, Versace chose the image of the head of the Gorgon Medusa as a logo - a mythical symbol that for the designer himself personified feminine strength, beauty and imperiousness. Donatella later said that Gianni wanted to use this particular image, because "everyone who fell in love with Medusa could not forget about her" - it was understood that Versace collections should produce the same magnetic effect.
Today the Versace logo is one of the most recognizable in the world. It decorates not only prints on clothes, but also used in interior decor. And, by the way, they fake it almost more often than others.
Versace Empire Nowadays
The incredible success of the Versace brand in the 90s was reinforced by the creation of subsidiary brands. So, in the mid-90s, the brand began cooperation with Ermenegildo Zegna and created a men's collection of classic suits under the Versace Collection brand. And for young people, separate collections were developed for clothes of the Versus brand that were more democratic in terms of price and style.
In 1996, Versace was diagnosed with cancer. During therapy, he continued to work hard. As a result, the designer managed to overcome the disease. But in 1997, the life of the maestro suddenly was interrupted. Gianni Versace was shot to death on the porch of his own Miami Beach villa by serial killer Andrew Cunanan, who committed suicide in detention. One of the reasons for the murder is called the unconventional sexual orientation of the designer, as he performed the coming-out not long before his death. During the investigation, it was established that Versace's killer was also gay, and this could serve as a motive for the murder. But there are other versions as well. The chronicles mention Versace's connection with the Italian mafia. According to rumors, Gianni owed a large amount of money, for which he could well pay with his own life. This story of the murder of Versace is persistently proven by Giuseppe Di Bella, a former mafia. He also claimed that Versace was involved in money laundering with the Mafia.
After the assassination of the main fashion designer of the house, Gianni Versace, in 1997, the management of the company passed to his brother Santo, and Donatella Versace became the de facto head of the design division. At the same time, a representative of the third generation of the Versace family, the daughter of Donatella Allegra, entered the business. She gained control of 50% of the Versace company due to Gianni’s testament.
Since the early 2000s, Versace's success has begun to decline gradually. The company had to change several hired CEOs, and in 2018 the company was bought by the fashion house Michael Kors. And today the Versace brand, along with Michael Kors and Jimmy Chu, are part of Capri Holding Limited, a luxury goods company.
Versace's success would not have been complete if not for the active interaction with celebrities. By the way, Gianni Versace himself had a hand in creating the image of many of the catwalk stars. It was he who began to actively promote the idea of cooperation with fashion models, who, with his light hand, were called top models. Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista and even Carla Bruni, the future First Lady of France became regular participants in his shows, and he introduced the fashion for high fees and promotion of the names of professional models. They did not miss a single show of Gianni because, unlike other designers, Versace paid his models triple royalties.
Kate Moss is often called the main favorite of Versace. She regularly became the advertising face of the company, almost always opened shows, and was also seen at fashion parties with Gianni. And their joint appearance on the Versace show in 1995 was included in the list of the best moments of Haute Couture according to Vogue.
By the way, in addition to fashion for top models, Gianni Versace launched another trend: to create bright and expressive advertising campaigns. His campaigns with Naomi Campbell in 1990, Mila Jovovich in 1998, Linda Evangelista in 1997, Christy Turlington and Stephanie Seymour in 1994 became ideal examples for future generations of designers. Bright colors in design, expressive poses of models, spectacular images guaranteed the public's attention to collections even without a runway show.
Famous actors and musicians also worked with Versace. Madonna, Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Moore, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga, Halle Berry became the face of his brand at one time. Moreover, he was engaged in the development of stage costumes for pop-icons Elton John and Michael Jackson. By the way, Sir Elton often chose Versace glasses for his looks. The creation of stage costumes for Gianni Versace was not new: back in the late 70s he collaborated with the famous La Scala and designed costumes for theater productions.
The famous Lady Di, the Princess of Wales brought a significant share of Versace's success: the designer was one of her favorite couturiers. By the way, Gianni Versace was the only one who was able to persuade Diana to go to the podium at her show, because for the royal family this was a grandiose violation of etiquette and a reason for a huge scandal. He also dressed the princess of Monaco Carolina.
And about how many celebrities wear Versace clothes and glasses, you can see from the paparazzi photo. By the way, glasses of the past decades are especially highly valued, because vintage is always fashionable. So, in vintage glasses and frames from Versace on the streets of Hollywood you can find:
By the way, costume designers also used vintage Versace glasses and frames to create the images of successful businessmen in the movie "The Wolf of Wall Street". And back in the 80s, his sketches became the basis for the characters of the American TV series Miami Vice.
And the high-quality and spectacular design of Versace’s eyewear makes it perfect to use on the stage to protect the musician’s eyes from the bright light of spotlights. That’s why sunglasses by Versace are a part of the scenic image of Prince, Elton John, Jessie J and others.
In 2005, Madonna became the muse of the fashion house. The singer adored the Versace brand for several years, so she immediately agreed. Madonna has participated in many campaigns including Versace watches and sunglasses. The popularity of designer accessories has skyrocketed. The post of Madonna in 2013 was accepted by the no less shocking Lady Gaga. The queens of the pop scene have starred in advertising campaigns for sunglasses. And today the top models of the new generation - Bella and Gigi Hadid - have taken the baton in the presentation of optical accessories from Versace.
The 1990s were not only breathtaking but also very glamorous. Gianni Versace's collections embody that brilliance.
The fashion house had an absolute heyday in the 90s, until the death of Gianni in 1997. The maestro was an absolute visionary and his creations were loved and received due attention from most of the celebrities.
Influenced by Greek mythology, his designs were bold, colorful and glamorous. With the Medusa Gorgon logo, still representing the Versace house the eyewear by Versace was a real splash of glamour and street style at once.
At the same time, the world of hip-hop flourished and legends such as Notorious B.I.G, Tupac and many others shared the highlights of their lives on MTV, we all grew up watching the luxury and splendor in the image of rappers.
Champagne, silk shirts and gold-tone Versace sunglasses were all the rage! Vintage Versace sunglasses are reminiscent of the glamor and flamboyance of that exciting era. Black frame with golden Medusa logo and fantastic forms was a symbol of the era.
The Versace frames and sunglasses collections are crafted from the highest quality materials, and each model is eye-catching with its sophisticated form and unique color scheme. The embellishments include iconic Versace elements such as gilded Greek ornaments or Baroque paintings, signature prints, rhinestones, enamels and the Medusa Gorgon logo.
What are the main features that distinguish Versace glasses from other brands? First of all, it is the originality of the designer himself, who set the tone for all Versace collections from the 80s to today. Versace's bright, slightly rebellious, but completely opulent style was embodied not only in his signature scarves, silk shirts and dresses. It can be clearly seen in every pair of glasses and frames released at the end of the 20th century under the Versace brand.
Be sure you see one of Gianni Versace's masterpieces!
At Kamiria Glasses, we really love the creations of the genius Gianni, and we collect unique glasses of his design all over the world. Often, our employees have to travel halfway around the world to get rare frames and sunglasses produced by Versace in the 90s. But the result is definitely worth it, as each pair of these accessories will make you look like a superstar.
In our catalog you can find rare Versace glasses models that have already been removed from production for at least 20-25 years. From the first collections at the dawn of the 90s to the latest collections designed by Gianni Versace, from Donatella's starter collections to the super popular models of the early 2000s - these are the glasses that are of interest to us, and we are pleased to present them to our customers. And who knows, perhaps this particular pair of glasses at one time belonged to Tupac Shakur, Notorious Big or Demi Moore?
We provide glasses and frames only in the original. Thanks to our extensive experience and ability to distinguish a fake from the very first seconds, we fill our catalog only with accessories released in production under the control of Versace. And this is an indicator of high quality, because in the Versace business, the principle of personal control of all stages from the development of the concept of collections to their entry into retail sale was strictly observed.
We invite you to take a look at the epitome of chic and kitsch of the 90s - glasses and frames from the Versace brand! We pay tribute to the memory of the genius Gianni Versace and strive to make his works a part of modern culture, because vintage is the best idea for those who want to look stylish and unusual against the background of mass market culture.
