Ahhhh Gianni Versace…

My love affair with fashion was fueled by his designs in the 80s and 90s.

Giovanni Maria “Gianni” Versace was an Italian fashion designer, socialite and businessman.

He was the founder of Versace, an international luxury-fashion house that produces accessories, fragrances, make-up, home furnishings and clothes.

He was influenced by Ancient Greek History.

This is evident in the company’s logo, the Medusa head, and recurring motifs like the Greek Key.

He was one of the first designers to link fashion to the music world.

Versace enlisted the talents of legends Elton John, Madonna, and even Jon Bon Jovi for seasonal campaigns.

Fun Fact: Tupac was the first rapper in a Versace fashion show!

Gianni Versace also designed Michael’s iconic gold outfit on the HIStory Tour in 1996.

He also retained complete creative control over all aspects of his company.

Concerning the ‘competition’ between Italian designers, Versace was quoted as saying “Armani dresses the wife, Versace dresses the mistress.”

Versace became known for employing celebrities in his marketing campaigns and seating them in the front rows of his fashion shows. He was one of the first designers to do this.

He is also credited with inventing the ‘supermodels’ of the 1990s, by discovering and featuring major runway models in his shows and ads.

He put the ‘Super’ in Supermodel.

“Before [Gianni], I don’t think many designers let models have personality, nor after. The models should wear the clothes, be very serious, not smile, look in front of you, almost no soul,” his sister Donatella Versace told The Guardian .

“This was totally opposite: it was about the girls, what the girls were thinking, who they were dating. It wasn’t just about the clothes, but about who was wearing the clothes.”

He also believed in men being sex symbols. Not just women.

One of the 90s most memorable moments in fashion history was Elizabeth Hurley in her Versace Safety Pin Dress.

The iconic safety pin dress moment marked not only Liz’s rise to international fame, but the beginning of a lifelong relationship between the actress and the Italian fashion house.

Another favorite Versace memory is of Demi Moore in this iconic lilac ensemble.

Nobody can forget Kate Moss in this Cotton Candy Dream outfit!

He once notably said, “I’m not a fashion designer. I’m a tailor. It’s my job. I can cut and sew clothes. Not everyone can do that”.

Gianni Versace…The man had passion for fashion. And he passed that passion onto me.