Versace History Case Study

 

Versace has been one of the most popular luxury brands in the fashion world for the past 40 years. They design and sell red carpet gowns and accessories worn by fashion's most famous faces.

If we agree that luxury fashion changed the world, we must also agree that Versace changed luxury fashion! The brand not only creates one-of-a-kind items, but it also excels at marketing its collections and establishing high-end connections.

It's so distinctive that when you wear it, everyone notices. Today, the brand's name and powerful logo are synonymous with luxury, style, elegance, and boldness.

The family-run business serves as an inspiration to all fashion brands; they've always designed unique clothes that are both classy and funky, and their sense of style is breathtaking. The big question, however, is what made Versace the most popular fashion statement and their logo so iconic. This article covered everything you need to know about the luxury brand. Take a cool drink because this is going to be fascinating.

Versace History

Gianni Versace established the brand as Gianni Versace Donna in 1978.

Gianni grew up in Reggio Calabria, where he spent his childhood helping his mother, a seamstress. He began to develop an interest in fashion and design. At the age of nine, he made his first dress, a blue one-shoulder gown that was later recreated for Princess Diana about 40 years later.

Despite the fact that Gianni did not study fashion design, he is far more talented than those who have. He moved to Milan at the age of 26 to pursue a career in fashion design; by 1972, he had already designed collections for three brands, including "Byblos," a youth line of popular fashion brand Genny.

Gianni Versace opened his first Versace Boutique in Milan's most famous shopping street, Via Della Spiga, in 1978. Gianni was the only brand designer at the time, giving him the opportunity to control every aspect of Versace and give it his dream vision in every aspect - from design to marketing and networking.

Versace initially sold only designer garments, but in 1982, they expanded their offerings and began manufacturing clothing accessories, furniture, and other products under the Versace brand name.

The Medusa – Versace Iconic Logo

Gianni chooses to design his own logo because he is a designer as well as a businessman. Growing up in Italy, the designer was already familiar with Greek artwork. He claimed that the artwork on the floor of the Rome Ruins, where he used to play with his siblings, inspired him to create his logo. He stated that he chose Medusa because of how much people adore her and hoped that his customers would fall in love with Versace in the same way.

Medusa's story is a cautionary tale about lust and pride. After seducing Poseidon, Athena severely punished her by turning men to stone just by looking at her. However, this is in contrast to Versace's current style, which is more alluring yet powerful.

Gianni Versace, on the other hand, unveiled the brand's first logo, which featured his name, in 1980; later, in 1993, he revealed the famous Medusa logo, which has become synonymous with the brand's level of style and luxury.

Today, Medusa is the ideal symbol for the Versace brand; however, changes to the borders and lettering on the logo have been made, but the famous face of Medusa, which is both beautiful and terrifying, remains the same.

The Becoming

When Gianni founded Versace, he was already friends with well-known music industry figures such as Naomi Campbell, Elton John, members of Duran Duran, and so on. Many people became aware of the brand after celebrities began wearing Versace garments to photo shoots and award ceremonies. Gianni Versace's contribution to the fashion industry was to link fashion and music, which resulted in numerous priceless rewards for the brand. Everyone wants to wear what Naomi Campbell wore to an award ceremony or what Elton John wore. Versace will have a solid customer base before you know it.

Gianni was the first designer to recognize that having strong personalities on the front row and professional models as the muse drew the media's attention like no other. This gradually became a trend, and it is still followed by all fashion brands today.

The Expansion

Gianni expanded the brand's offerings into other product lines in 1981, as the brand's popularity grew.

Versace received several licensing agreements for lifestyle products such as fashion accessories, home products, neckwear, sunglasses, watches, and a line of porcelain dishes with patterns and designs from iconic fashion collections. He later began designing costumes for a theatrical production.

Unfortunately, Versace's mastermind died on July 15, 1997, at the age of 51, as a result of a gunshot wound.

Donatella Francesca Versace

After Gianni's assassination, when the brand was at its peak of popularity, his sister Donatella took over as creative director. Even during his lifetime, she was instrumental in developing and integrating the luxury brand with the music industry.

She, like Gianni, did not attend fashion school, but she has been working with her brother since the early 1970s. Gianni once said she was his first muse because they were so close.

She learned of his cancer diagnosis after his assassination. He had already persuaded her to play a larger role in the brand's development, and she has been working tirelessly as an image director, overseer of fashion parties, and campaign manager for smaller labels.

Donatella is the creative director of Versace to this day, and she has managed to keep the brand's identity exactly as Gianni left it - original, powerful, seductive, and bold. She also understands the importance of maintaining control over the brand's recognition. As a result, she continues to design clothing for high-profile celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez.

Versace is still a fashionable brand that is seen as an essential part of the celebrity world. Low neckline dresses and miniskirts, which can be found in almost all Versace collections, are among its most iconic designs.

Versace Today

The brand is still strongly associated with influential figures such as Tina Turner, Elton John, Princess Diana, and, most recently, Michelle Obama, who wore a Versace gown to her final state dinner.

Today, there are approximately 130 Versace boutiques worldwide, all working hard to add to the brand's legacy and recognition. Their newest locations are in Rome, Jeddah, Mumbai, and Dubai.

Versace’s Most Famous Dresses

One thing we can all agree on when it comes to Versace dresses is that they always bring elegance and a bold silhouette to whoever wears them. Without a doubt, the Versace family has altered the image of femininity in the fashion industry and around the world. Donatella Versace deserves credit for keeping the Versace brand at the top of the fashion industry.

Let's take a look at some of the most famous Versace gowns worn by some famous people:

1. Cindy Crawford’s red Versace dress, 1991

The first on our list is Cindy Crawford's red plunge Versace gown, which she wore to the 63rd Academy Awards on March 25, 1991.

The long evening gown has lovely straps and a plunging neckline that fits perfectly on the sexy model's body.

Debenhams polled customers in 2008, and this dress was voted the 12th best red carpet gown of all time.

The dress was also named one of the top ten best red carpet looks by The Now Celebrity News & Style magazine.

Donatella Versace's red Versace gown was named the 10th most memorable dress of the last half-century by Offerssupermarket in 2010.

2. Princess Diana’s Versace dress, 1991

Did you just finish reading about Princess Diana? Yes! The Nobel laureate wore a long ice blue gown designed by Gianni Versace in 1991 for a photo shoot by a rising photographer at the time, Patrick Demarchelier. The beaded and jewel-encrusted gown created quite a stir in the media. They were later used as the cover of Harper's Bazaar as a tribute to Princess Diana's mysterious death.

This iconic gown was auctioned off in 2015 for a whopping $200,000, more than five times its original value.

3. Donatella Versace’s MET Gala Versace dress, 1996

Donatella Versace attended the MET Gala in 1996 wearing a stunning designer gown. According to the TV show The Assassination of Gianni Versace, the iconic dress was designed by the late Gianni. The dress's bold and alluring design traveled around the world and became the talk of fashionistas at the time. The Versace MET Gala gown is still regarded as one of the most iconic gowns in the fashion industry today.

4. Jennifer Lopez’s Jungle Versace dress, 2000

Versace designed an alluring green silk chiffon gown for renowned American entertainer Jennifer Lopez to wear to the 42nd Grammy Awards on February 23, 2000.

The gown, also known as the jungle dress, was fully decorated with a beautiful tropical motif. Its deep neckline ends with a flower-shaped brooch a few centimeters above the navel. The dress has an open slit, which is then left open. It is one of the most famous red carpet gowns ever worn.

5. The Gianni Versace S.r.l.40th Anniversary Dress

During the 40th anniversary of Gianni Versace S.r.l in 2018, a number of celebrities, including Naomi Campbell, Carla Bruni, Linda Evangelista, and Cindy Crawford, wore the stylish Oroton metal mesh design, which was made from a hard metal mesh covered silk. Because of its bold and unique design, this dress remained a media sensation for quite some time.