Versace – an explosion of color with an extra gold edge

The Versace fashion house was founded in 1978 by Gianni Versace and like so many other Italian businesses, it was created as a small family business with younger sister Donatella and older brother Santo involved from the very beginning.

In the years that followed, Gianni enjoyed huge success with his collections and quickly became one of the biggest names on the international fashion scene. He was also the first to bring all the top models of the 1990s together on the catwalk, creating the 'supermodel' phenomenon.

Gianni's life was always full of culture and he loved anything that could make life a little more beautiful, a little more colourful and a lot more colourful. It was also in theatre, dance and art that he found his creative inspiration. And a life that had been given a golden edge in so many ways also resulted in products with the same golden frame.

Interior design that comes from a fashion house should be recognisable. I don't believe in minimalism because minimalism is everywhere.

His sister Donatella, who has been creative director of the brand since Gianni's death in 1997, has said: "Interior design that comes from a fashion house should be recognisable. I don't believe in minimalism because minimalism is everywhere."

And when the first items in the home collection were launched in 1992, there was no doubt who the sender was, and there was definitely nothing that could be associated with minimalism. First up was a collection of textiles with cushions and duvets, but these were soon followed by a range of other items.

In 1993, the collaboration with the renowned German porcelain factory Rosenthal began and since then has produced many collections for the table under the name Rosenthal meets Versace. The products include porcelain, of course, but also series of glasses for various beverages and decorative items that sometimes have a function and sometimes have the sole purpose of being a piece to tickle the eye and the mind.

The symbol of Medusa from the brand's logo is a recurring pattern on many products. The image is taken from the floor of a dilapidated house where Gianni and his siblings played as children. In Greek mythology, before being transformed into an evil monster, Medusa could completely enchant people with her beauty and make them loyal companions for life. Gianni's vision was that Versace would have the same effect on its customers. He has said: "Versace is a lifestyle and should be comprehensive for those who choose to embrace it."

And today, just as you can dress in Versace, smell Versace and carry your belongings in a Versace, you can easily furnish an entire home with only Versace designs. And if you can't get enough and want to surround yourself with the same extravaganza on holiday, you can book a room at one of the opulent resorts known as Palazzo Versace.

"I don't believe in good taste" was Gianni Versace's motto throughout his career. Perhaps what defines good taste is in the eye of the beholder in the same way that beauty is. In any case, it is clear that Versace has never been a design house that apologises for itself. Quite the contrary. And in an existence that is often overflowing with cool colours and sober expressions, we can hope that it will continue to be just that. That there are worlds where we know we can always get an injection of lots of lots and extra of everything.

Products featured in the post