Building on his early success designing collections for other designers, in 1978 Gianni Versace decided it was time to open his own fashion house, initially called “Gianni Versace Donna”, although it was soon expanding to menswear and then to home furnishing and accessories.
The first boutique in Via della Spiga
Seeking to keep a tight family business connection, Gianni asked his older brother Santo to support him from the start, by taking control of the newly founded fashion house from a management standpoint. Together they opened a shop in Via della Spiga, a street that is, then as now, the epicentre of the fashion industry in Milan.
Versace’s style takes shape
With the boutique at street level and the headquarters located on the floor above, Gianni was able to let his creativity run free, creating Dionysian glamour formed by the flamboyant carnal interplay between pop, rock and baroque. Versace’s sense of fashion was free of any visible sense of inhibition, and he was inventing trends rather than following them. He played with innovative materials, created new shapes and colours and took inspiration from his classical background, reimagining Greek columns in blazing colours for the motifs of his dresses and wallpapers.