Who Was Gianni Versace? The Founder and the Versace History

Gianni Versace was the Italian designer who founded Versace in Milan in 1978, after learning his trade in his mother’s dressmaking workshop in Reggio Calabria. He gave the house its Medusa head, its gold Barocco print and its supermodel runways. His name survives in our Versace edit, down to the Gianni heels, and in the work of his sister, profiled in who is Donatella Versace.

Key facts

• Born on 2 December 1946 in Reggio Calabria, southern Italy.
• Learned dressmaking in the workshop run by his mother, Francesca.
• Founded Versace in Milan in 1978 and showed his first womenswear collection there that year.
• Created the gold Barocco print for his 1991 runway.
• Adopted the Medusa head as the house trademark around 1993.
• Died on 15 July 1997 in Miami Beach, aged 50.

Who was Gianni Versace?

Gianni Versace was born on 2 December 1946 in Reggio Calabria, at the toe of southern Italy. His mother Francesca ran a dressmaking workshop, and that is where he learned to cut and construct a garment. The town itself left a mark. Gianni and his younger sister Donatella played among its ancient ruins, and the house later said a Medusa head in a mosaic floor there was the root of its emblem.

He moved north to Milan, and in 1978 he founded the label under his own name. His first Versace womenswear collection was shown in Milan that same year.

How did Versace start in 1978?

The Versace history begins with one collection and one name. For years the logo was simply “Versace”, written out. The Medusa came later, adopted as the trademark around 1993, and the Greca key border that frames it became the house’s second signature. Our Versace Medusa logo guide explains how the two fit together.

What set him apart from the start was confidence with the body. His clothes were cut close, finished in colour and gold, and built to be noticed. Donatella was at his side from the late 1970s, and in the 1980s she designed the Versus line.

The supermodel era and the 1991 Barocco print

Few shows define a decade the way Gianni’s Autumn Winter 1991 runway did. Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington walked out together and lip-synced to George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90”. It put the models at the centre of the show, and it fixed the image of Versace as glamour at full volume.

The same year gave the house its signature print. Barocco, a gold baroque scroll, was born for the 1991 runway. It turned up on silk shirts and scarves, and it has been revived many times since. Donatella brought it back for Spring Summer 2018. Our Versace prints guide traces how it is used on today’s pieces.

In May 1994 Elizabeth Hurley wore a black Versace dress held together with gold safety pins to the London premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral. The safety pin is still a house code, found on earrings, belts and necklaces in our edit.

How did Gianni Versace die?

Gianni Versace was shot dead on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion, Casa Casuarina on Ocean Drive, on 15 July 1997. He was 50. His killer was Andrew Cunanan. Gianni had bought the house in 1992, and today it is a hotel, The Villa Casa Casuarina.

Donatella became creative director after his death and led the studio for nearly 28 years.

What is Gianni Versace’s legacy?

The legacy is visible on every Versace piece we stock. The Medusa head is on bag clasps, sunglasses temples and watch dials. The Greca border edges rings, cuffs and sneakers. Gold is treated as a colour in its own right, and the gowns are still cut for the body.

Donatella made the tribute explicit for Spring Summer 2018. She revived Barocco and brought back Evangelista, Crawford, Campbell and Turlington for a finale that recalled 1991. Claudia Schiffer, Carla Bruni and Helena Christensen joined them. The house still names pieces for him: the Gianni pumps and slingbacks, and the Tribute Medusa jewellery.

For a longer read on today’s codes, start with our Versace dresses guide and our edit of designer necklaces. Every piece is 100% authentic, verified by Coveti, and designed in Milan.

Shop the edit

1. Gianni Nappa Pumps 90 mm in Black, USD 1,930. The pump that carries his name; wear it with cropped tailoring.
2. Gianni Ribbon Patent Pumps 110 mm in Black and Gold, USD 1,420. A higher heel with gold detail for evening.
3. Tribute Medusa Bracelet in Gold, USD 1,210. A direct nod to the founder; stack it with a slim watch.
4. Printed Silk Twill Shirt in White and Gold, USD 2,490. A white and gold silk print, best worn open over a camisole.
5. Safety Pin Necklace in Light Gold, USD 980. The 1994 code, scaled down for daytime.
6. Metal Mesh Slip Mini Dress in Silver, USD 6,300. Silver metal mesh for a night out; keep everything else plain.
7. Printed Silk Twill Scarf in White and Gold, USD 570. An easy first piece of printed Versace silk.

Frequently asked questions

When was Gianni Versace born?

Gianni Versace was born on 2 December 1946 in Reggio Calabria in southern Italy. He learned dressmaking in his mother Francesca’s workshop there before moving to Milan, where he founded the Versace house and showed his first womenswear collection in 1978.

When did Gianni Versace found Versace?

Gianni Versace founded the house in Milan in 1978, and his first Versace womenswear collection was shown in Milan that year. For years the logo was his name. He adopted the Medusa head as the trademark around 1993, so the Medusa logo does not date from 1978.

How old was Gianni Versace when he died?

Gianni Versace was 50 when he died on 15 July 1997. He was shot on the steps of Casa Casuarina, his mansion on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, by Andrew Cunanan. The house, which he bought in 1992, is now a hotel called The Villa Casa Casuarina.

Who took over Versace after Gianni died?

His younger sister Donatella Versace became creative director after his death in 1997. She had worked alongside him since the late 1970s and designed the Versus line in the 1980s. She led the studio for nearly 28 years before becoming chief brand ambassador on 1 April 2025.

What is the Versace Barocco print?

Barocco is the gold baroque scroll print Gianni Versace created for his 1991 runway. It became a signature of the house. Donatella Versace revived it for the Spring Summer 2018 collection, which she dedicated to her brother, and its gold scroll language still appears on Versace silk shirts and scarves.