Gianni Versace: A Piece of Italian Fashion History

Prized Italian high-fashion designer names such as Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Giorgio Armani conjure notions of glamour and prestige in the fashion community. Home to many of the world's most revered and prominent fashion houses, Italy has long led the development and revolution of haute couture. Well-known for defining trends and setting couture standards, the decadent creations of Italian designers are most often the first to capture headlines in fashion trade publications and fashion week events worldwide.

The fashions of Italy's most admired couture designer's reach far beyond the bustle of Rome and the sprawling countryside of Tuscany. In days past, royalty, celebrities and the wealthy were often the only select group able to afford such elegant fashion. But thanks to modernization in textile houses and ease of import, Italian designers now adorn not just the rich and famous, but also the true fashion connoisseur.

Italian fashion houses are similar to major corporations and businesses. At the helm is a leader, inspiring and directing the vision of the business. Working for the leader are various employees with specifics talents and abilities making unique contributions to achieve the vision. This same working scenario exists in Italian fashion houses both past and present. A fashion house maybe named for its founder, or designated with a name or symbol special to the house founder. Although many of today's most well known Italian designers began working in fashion houses, prolonged loyalty is not always constant. Most designers will move from house to house, fusing their creative ideas and designs into a new, yet evolving fashion world.

One of the world's most notable Italian fashion houses, the House of Versace, began with a simple yet pure love deep within its founder's heart. As a young man, Gianni Versace began his fashion career working with his mother. From pattern buyer to dressmaker to designer, Versace was a quick study in these and many other areas. It was only about six years from starting as a paid ready-to-wear designer in Milan that he designed and launched his very own collection in the same city, bearing his now famous name. The House of Versace was born.

In early days, the modern fashion designs of Gianni and his team weren't quite enough to catapult the House of Versace to sudden worldwide fame. With the help of fashion photographers such as Richard Avedon, magazine and style-conscience celebrities like Elton John and Madonna, Versace and his network of designers began to more notably grace the world with haute couture. Versace made his mark on fashion by combining his passion for art and fashion alongside top supermodels on the world's runways. But it wasn't always with the help of seasoned publicists. Versace was the most active planner and participant in creating his lavish runway shows.

At what some consider the peak of his career, unexpected trouble found Versace and his design empire when was shot and killed outside of his Miami home in 1997. During his fashion and design career, Versace expanded the House and his talents to include worldwide boutiques, fragrances, costume tailor and author. The House of Versace was in turmoil until his sister, Donatella, took over as CEO. Unfortunately, her concepts and designs were received with considerably less excitement than those of her brother. While visions of taking the House of Versace public were at one time discussed, any plans were nixed when its founder met an untimely death.

For those thirsty to quench the world of fashion, it now takes more than a keen eye and fondness for all things beautiful to be adored by the fashion community. Italian fashion design schools now aggressively teach courses such as marketing and fashion management; skills not previously taught to Italy's fashion elite, but learned directly in the fashion houses. In today's competitive fashion world, you'll need considerably more than a design education to start and rule an Italian fashion empire equivalent to Versace, Prada or Armani.

By Melissa Tyson