Sex, excess and the supermodel phenomenon – the context of the Versace brand

Exactly 25 years ago, on July 15, 1997, the world lost one of the most brilliant designers of the last century. This, of course, is about Gianni Versace, the genius of ugliness and king of the putanesca style. He not only “invented” supermodels, but also gave modern fashion bright colors and sexuality (which was very lacking). Gianni easily broke stereotypes, overcame obstacles and never broke the rules. He dictated them himself.

While some see Versace’s aesthetic as the epitome of luxury, others associate the brand with vulgarity and even vulgarity. But no one is indifferent. Gianni skillfully mixed antique motifs with pop art, proving that a woman is a goddess in every show. If other designers tried to dress them, Gianni on the contrary undressed. And he was successful like the others. There was even a popular saying: “Armani dresses the wives and Versace dresses the mistresses.”

We could talk endlessly about Versace’s contribution to fashion history. Although he passed away very early, his creations from the 80s and 90s era can still be found on the red carpet of social events. And we can safely say that every star dreams of touching the archive of the it-girl brand. Today, on the occasion of such an important date, we will tell you what Versace’s success consists of.

infertile women

To begin with, we offer a small overview of Gianni’s biography. In the 1950s, the designer’s mother had her own workshop, which she often took with her. Instead of toys, there were pieces of cloth and a needle thread. This is not remarkable, however, that the studio is not far from the red light zone.

Guess who was among Francesca Versace’s regular customers? That’s right, it was the barren women who proudly wore corsets, high heels, miniskirts, and other attributes of the ugly and sexy. Thus, the putaneski aesthetic was born in the childhood of the designer. If you look at the collections of the brand, you can be convinced of this once again.

Medusa Gorgon

“When the time came to choose a symbol, I remembered an old legend: who loves Medusa, for her there is no salvation. So why not assume that if Versace conquers someone, there will be no turning back for him? – He shared in an interview with Gianni. This ancient symbol is still the most recognizable logo in the entire fashion industry.

The phenomenon of “supermodels”

It was Gianni Versace who created world-class stars from ordinary fashion models. You’ve probably heard the words of Linda Evangelista: “I won’t get out of bed for less than ten thousand dollars a day.” So, it’s all the fault of Gianni Versace, who paid impossible fees to his favorites. Naomi Campbell, Carla Bruni, Linda Evangelista, Kate Moss, Claudia Schiffer, Christy Turlington and Cindy Crawford took the Versace podium at the same time.

ingenious ad campaigns

Gianni was a genius not only in terms of design, but also in advertising. The brand’s campaigns were shot by the best photographers of the second half of the 20th century: Steven Meisel and Mert Alas with Marcus Piggott’s duet, Bruce Weber, Irving Penn and, of course, Richard Avedon. And the same supermodels appeared in their lenses: from Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell to Cindy Crawford and Kate Moss. In all their advertising campaigns, the emphasis was on sex and shocking. Models often appeared in the company of half-naked or nude models. In 1995, Claudia Schiffer and Sylvester Stallone starred in the Versace Home series. This attraction has become a cult and is still quoted.

Experiments with materials

The use of new technologies has always been an important part of Versace’s work. For example, in the late 1980s, he introduced leather jackets that were not sewn, but soldered by hot welding. Let’s not forget the metal knitwear, another invention of Gianni.

In the 1982-1983 fall-winter collection, models walked the runway in mesh dresses. Versace liked to experiment with materials: silk was either processed at a high temperature or poisoned with acid to assemble it into an accordion.