Ten years after the death of Versace, and who would have predicted that the fashion house would be stronger than ever as an all-out purveyor of luxury. Or that critics would be hailing Gianni's sister, Donatella, as the future of minimalism?
It's not just hemlines that go up and down in the world of fashion. Fortunes come and go as_quickly as tastes change. Even without an unexpected death, the house of Versace would_have_had a rocky time reinventing itself for the late 90s - who wanted supermodels when grunge was the defining look? So when Gianni Versace was shot by serial killer Andrew_Cunanan outside his Miami mansion in July 1997, many wondered just how the label would survive.
Ten years on from that terrible event, things at Versace's Milan HQ are looking very good indeed. Activity in the company hasn't been so intense since the early 1990s when stores opened around the world and tableware and towels flaunting the label's trademark Medusa head and Greek fret motif became a must for society's more flamboyant entertainers.
Rather than settle for a future fighting its way as a mere fashion brand, Maison Versace - as it likes to call itself - has set its sights on becoming a purveyor of luxury in general - in the home, in the air, on the road, at sea and on vacation. Those who think there's already enough Greek-key pattern in the world should turn away now.
In 2008, the second Palazzo Versace hotel opens in Dubai. The first, which landed on Australia's Gold Coast in 2000, is a monument to excess with a 750kg chandelier that once hung in Milan's state library and 28 swimming pools. Dubai, an epicentre of consumption, could hardly be a better location for the follow-up, which even boasts temperature-controlled beaches. Then there are the 182 apartments for sale (starting price $1.6m) or rental at the lusciously refurbished New York Plaza. Though these belong to property company ELAD, they will come with bespoke Versace-designed interiors (amber crystal chandeliers, silk duvets, black-walled media dens) and views over Central Park as standard.
If that's not enough, you might like to indulge in a new Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 VERSACE, an enhanced version of the standard Murcielago fully upholstered in nappa leather and that familiar fret motif snaking its way around the interior. In which case, you'll also need the limited-edition luggage (with white satin lining) and blue calfskin driving gloves. There's also the bespoke private jet interior service and the Jet Seat, launched in April at the Milan Furniture Fair, the first ever ceramic-framed inflight armchair (soft white leather, hand embroidery). If you can't quite afford a jet, Versace will do out your helicopter. Apart from all that, by 2010 there will be five more Versace boutiques in the United States. By the end of this year there will be ten more in China.
This brand renaissance is due, in no small part, to chief executive Giancarlo di Risio who, since joining the company in September 2004 has turned it from an Italian family business into a corporation. By the end of 2006 he had already converted a €1.5m debt into net assets of €11.3m. The rest is down to Gianni's famous little sister Donatella, who took over the design direction upon Gianni's death. The up-all-night, platinum-blonde party girl checked herself into rehab three years ago and emerged as a more focused version of herself. Now her only bad habit is cigarettes, which she smokes from customised packs that have been repackaged in black with her initials DV picked out in gold.
Gianni would surely have approved of the expansion of Versace. The dressmaker's son from Italy's impoverished south always shuddered at the very idea that less could possibly be more. He was born in 1946 in Reggio di Calabria, but by 1972 he had moved to Milan and was designing for labels such as Genny and Complice. Though he never studied fashion, he had become a buyer for his mother, travelling to fashion shows and learning along the way. In 1978 he launched his own label and opened a shop in Milan's top fashion street via Spiga, and by 1979 had Richard Avedon shoot his advertising campaigns. Donatella, 11 years his junior and his most adored sibling, joined him as his PR once she'd finished university in Florence, but went on to become his muse. Santo, his brother, still works for the company, but it's often said that Gianni would treat him with icy reserve.
