The concept of fashion as entertainment was one of Gianni Versace's distinguishing contributions to the fashion world. He was one of the first designers with an all encompassing vision of how to keep his audience entertained. Versace would draw upon the talents of the best photographers to create the intended effect: Richard Avedon if he wanted to elicit the sensation of movement in the photo, Bruce Weber to conjure the image of model as rockstar, Irving Penn for studious still shots, Herb Ritts for sculptural effects. The very concept of "The Supermodel" arose during Versace's reign as "King of Fashion". He embraced the rockstar and the supermodel, using only the best most charismatic models who would not wilt in his spotlight. Versace's Haute Couture lines were not designed for the less than svelte of us, but they weren't afraid to borrow from the grungy undertones of rock & rollers' wardrobes either. Perhaps it came from his longtime association with the theater and costume design, but Versace took the adage "all the world's a stage" to heart.
Gingko Press is proud to announce the first in a series of 18 books on the greats in Italian fashion design with the release of Made in Italy - Gianni Versace. This highly visual book traces the work of Versace from his first women's collection in the late seventies through the development of his trademark daring sensuality in eighties to his last collection (for fall 1997) and untimely death.
