Murder, fashion and supermodels: The Versace story

Summary

Style-ish Podcast: "Murder, Fashion and Supermodels: The Versace Story"

Host: Shameless Media
Release Date: April 8, 2025

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1. Introduction to Versace’s Legacy

The episode kicks off with hosts Madison Sullivan Thorpe, Joanna Fleming, and Rhiannon Joyce diving into the illustrious history of the Versace fashion house. They set the stage by acknowledging Versace's iconic gold Medusa logo and its reputation for glamorous, bold designs. Madison shares her admiration, noting, “I absolutely love the supermodel era of Versace” [09:46], highlighting the brand’s enduring influence in the fashion world.

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2. Early Beginnings and Gianni's Vision

Exploring the origins, the hosts discuss Gianni Versace’s early life and his passion for fashion, crafted from childhood experiences in his mother’s seamstress workshop. At nine years old, Gianni created his first dress, a blue one-shoulder evening gown, a vision realized decades later when Princess Diana famously wore a version of it [16:13].

Madison emphasizes Gianni’s originality, stating, “Gianni’s designs were nothing like anyone else’s” [19:03]. This uniqueness, coupled with his savvy marketing strategies, propelled Versace from its mixed initial reception in 1978 to an internationally renowned brand by the 1990s.

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3. Gianni Versace and the Supermodel Era

Gianni Versace is credited with pioneering the supermodel phenomenon. The hosts reminisce about the era, mentioning iconic models like Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, and Naomi Campbell who graced Versace’s runways and campaigns [24:39]. Madison recalls, “Anna Wintour coined the phrase, 'Armani dresses the wife, Versace dresses the mistress,'” underscoring the brand’s edgy and seductive image [20:13].

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4. The Tragic Murder of Gianni Versace

A significant portion of the episode delves into the tragic and mysterious murder of Gianni Versace in July 1997. The hosts provide a detailed account of the events leading up to his assassination by Andrew Cunanan, a serial killer with unclear motives [26:09]. They discuss the impact of his death on the fashion industry and the Versace family, noting the profound grief and the subsequent challenges faced by the brand.

Madison reflects on the public’s fascination with the case, advising listeners interested in more details to explore Maureen Orth's book "Vulgar Favors" or the Ryan Murphy series "The Assassination of Gianni Versace" [26:12].

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5. Donatella’s Rise to Leadership

Following Gianni’s death, Donatella Versace stepped into the role of creative director and head designer. The hosts highlight her resilience and the pressure she faced, with Madison stating, “I think if you go back and look at... Ms. Versace could produce anything at all. She is a survivor and the house will be, too” [37:20].

Despite personal struggles, including battling cocaine addiction, Donatella successfully maintained Versace’s legacy. The hosts praise her ability to honor her brother’s vision while infusing her own creativity, ensuring the brand remained relevant and vibrant [36:26].

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6. Iconic Moments Under Donatella’s Leadership

Donatella’s tenure as creative director is marked by several memorable moments:

• Jennifer Lopez’s Jungle Dress: At the 42nd Grammy Awards in 2000, J.Lo’s Versace jungle dress became legendary, prompting the creation of Google Images as people searched for the iconic outfit online [39:17]. Madison humorously remarks, “So if any of you have ever thought JLo’s got an ego now, you know that it is completely and utterly justified” [40:27].

• Versace Spring Summer 2018 Show: Donatella paid homage to Gianni by showcasing his archives, featuring original supermodels and a heartfelt tribute speech [42:25]. Rhiannon shares, “What a moment for her and for their family” [43:58].

These events underscore Versace’s continued dominance in red carpet fashion and its ability to create moments that resonate globally.

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7. Recent Developments: Leadership Transition

In a surprising turn, the episode discusses Donatella stepping down as creative director in March 2025, passing the torch to Dario Vitale, an esteemed Italian designer and former Miu Miu director [45:38]. The hosts speculate on the potential acquisition by the Prada Group, with Madison observing, “I think this is a very deliberate move... they go there, let's see how quickly we can get this rocket to space and then we'll buy it” [47:07].

Joanna and Rhiannon express excitement about Dario’s appointment, anticipating fresh perspectives while maintaining Versace’s strong identity. They discuss the challenges and opportunities of integrating Versace with mainstream brands like Miu Miu, predicting impactful shifts in accessories and celebrity collaborations [48:47].

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8. The Future of Versace

As the podcast wraps up, the hosts contemplate the future trajectory of Versace under new leadership. They commend Donatella’s enduring legacy and express optimism about Dario Vitale’s potential to innovate while preserving the brand’s storied heritage. The possible acquisition by Prada Group adds an intriguing layer to Versace’s evolving narrative, leaving listeners eager to witness the next chapter [49:57].

Madison concludes with enthusiasm, “I can’t wait to hear whether Prada group acquires this brand or not. We'll stay tuned” [49:56], signaling ongoing interest and anticipation for Versace’s future endeavors.

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9. Closing Remarks

The hosts wrap up by reflecting on the profound journey of Versace, from Gianni’s visionary beginnings to Donatella’s resilient stewardship and the brand’s latest developments. They encourage listeners to stay engaged with Versace’s evolving story and express gratitude to their team and audience [50:37].

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Notable Quotes

• Madison Sullivan Thorpe: “I absolutely love the supermodel era of Versace” [09:46]
• Madison Sullivan Thorpe: “Gianni’s designs were nothing like anyone else’s” [19:03]
• Madison Sullivan Thorpe: “Anna Wintour coined the phrase, 'Armani dresses the wife, Versace dresses the mistress,'” [20:13]
• Madison Sullivan Thorpe: “I think if you go back and look at... Ms. Versace could produce anything at all. She is a survivor and the house will be, too” [37:20]
• Madison Sullivan Thorpe: “So if any of you have ever thought JLo’s got an ego now, you know that it is completely and utterly justified” [40:27]
• Madison Sullivan Thorpe: “I think this is a very deliberate move... they go there, let's see how quickly we can get this rocket to space and then we'll buy it” [47:07]
• Madison Sullivan Thorpe: “I can’t wait to hear whether Prada group acquires this brand or not. We'll stay tuned” [49:56]

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Conclusion

This episode of Style-ish offers an in-depth exploration of the Versace brand, weaving together its glamorous ascent, the tragic loss of its visionary founder Gianni Versace, and the resilient leadership of Donatella Versace. With insightful discussions and engaging anecdotes, the hosts provide a comprehensive narrative that celebrates Versace’s enduring legacy while anticipating its future evolution under new leadership.

For fashion enthusiasts and listeners unfamiliar with Versace’s storied past, this episode serves as both an informative and captivating guide into one of the most influential names in luxury fashion.

Transcript

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Foreign.

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[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

This is Stylish, the podcast for all things fashion, brand, business, and beauty. My name is Madison Sullivan Thorpe, and my co hosts are Joanna Fleming. And for the second week in a row, Rihanna.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Joyce. Hi. And I'm cosplaying as Annika today in a rugby shirt.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, fully. You look great in the maroon. I'm glad to see a bit of burgundy.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I just. I was missing her, so I thought, you know what? I'll just. I'll just be her today.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, you look great.

[Joanna Fleming]

Always in your own way, though.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah. Always got to be in palette.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Always.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Full burgundy fit today.

[Joanna Fleming]

How are we?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

We're great. I have my 30th on the weekend. I know you do. You know, we had your voice down and out last week. We'll have mine down and out.

[Joanna Fleming]

You sound fine. Shouldn't I think you've pulled up quite well. You looked incredible in the flesh.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Definitely got some fresh hinge pics. Oh, I was going through. I was like, yeah, number 15. That's got to go up.

[Joanna Fleming]

There were some seriously good snaps out of the evening.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

You looked great.

[Joanna Fleming]

Where was the dress from?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

The dress was actually. This is so random. It was from Kaia bridal.

[Adidas Sponsor]

Oh.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And no, I wasn't that excited by my hinge Rex that I thought I the one. Let's go get a wedding dress. I was actually just googling little black, like, lace minis because I kind of had this vision. And the dress that I did buy was so bad when it arrived, like, I sent it to my friend Elliot, who was on stylish face to face, and he was like, God, no. Was his reply. I was like, okay. Shit. So I got it DHL for the next day. It came three sizes too big, and I paid an obscene amount of money for a seamstress to basically pull it apart and bring it back together.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Well, it worth it.

[Joanna Fleming]

So worth it.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. It was a pulse. On sale for $400, which was great.

[Joanna Fleming]

How did you feel?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Sexy. And you know what? When we did Alison Bornstein's three words, I said, I really like as that sort of aspirational word. I was like, I'm aspiring to sexy. So, yeah, I felt a little bit sexy.

[Joanna Fleming]

You nailed it.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

You looked beautiful.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Didn't feel so sexy on Sunday, but what's important is I felt sexy on Saturday.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I also felt like there was a Lot of hairography going on in your imagery and I appreciated it.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Thank you. I think I have probably spent every day since the Dua Lipa concert just wanting to be Dua Lipa when I grow up.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yep.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

So I think maybe that was what I was doing.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Did you come across that way?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Have I flicked it about 900 times, yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

Okay. We have a pretty meaty episode.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

We do.

[Joanna Fleming]

Before we get into it, we have to do the swap.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yes. Yes.

[Joanna Fleming]

Who wants to go first?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Go, Jo.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Okay. I bought a new dry shampoo.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Okay.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I love a dry shampoo recommendation. And I thought based on last week's episode being all about hair, I thought I would bring this one in because I just committed to buying this after seeing about three TikToks of hairdressers using this dry shampoo. And I'm not surprised that it's getting such good reviews. It is pretty new to the market. It's the K18 air wash dry shampoo. It is not cheap. It's $85.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Jesus. Okay.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I was committed to trying it so that I could find out if it was worth it.

[Joanna Fleming]

Okay.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

And it is very unique. It's very unique. So it goes on as a mist. And now I've tried mist dry shampoos before. I've tried the Bumble and Bumble. I've tried the R Co and typically you have to dry them in with your Dyson or whatever you've got. And you don't typically get a lot of volume unless you're drying it in. And you can't really leave it wet. It just doesn't dry down the way that this one does. You actually mist this one in. You just massage it in for a few seconds, brush it through, and it's like you've got freshly washed hair. No way I'm gonna say it. It's worth the 85 bucks.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Big call.

[Joanna Fleming]

Big call.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

It's a big call. But if you're gonna spend money on hair care.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, see, your wrecks are very big.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I also loathe washing my hair. So if I was gonna spend it on anything, it probably would be a dry shampoo.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

And I wouldn't have invested in it if I wasn't someone that had to wash their hair like every second day. Because I do. But instead I just slick it. And so instead of slicking it, I need to ingest. Yeah, yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Looking at you both in your slick back pumps. Don't look too closely at mine. I think I used the Bumble and Bumble spray. And when you said you've Gotta dry your hair after you use it. I was like, that would explain why it hasn't really been working.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah, I always dry that one. And you get nice volume back from that. You know when your hair's dirty it just loses all the volume.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. Okay. Memo to self.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Before I bin something thinking it doesn't work.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah. Learn how to do it properly.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Be better.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Be better. What's yours?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Oh, we're so eager. I know.

[Joanna Fleming]

So eager. So I am coming to you with. I think I found the best pair of heels to wear on a night out.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I need this recommendation so badly. I was showing Mads my blister patches before.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Didn't know blister patches were a thing.

[Joanna Fleming]

But go on, honestly. So I actually borrowed a pair of heels from my sister in law on the weekend. The Josie Elias Mate. Just a classic black pump. They have a few different colorways but they were so comfortable. The perfect heel height. I was dancing the night away, maybe on some tables.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I was waiting for it. I was like, is she going to say it?

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, I'm going to say it. And no issues. Not a single single blister the next day. And I will say I am notorious for wearing quite small heels. I'm pretty tall. I'm a 5 8. So I've got height on my side, you know.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Must be nice. Must be nice.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I'm gonna look at your photos so that I can.

[Joanna Fleming]

They're just the perfect heel height. They were so comfortable. What are you looking at?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I'm just here to say like they were also sexy shoes. Like re walked in the door.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

They're really nice. Yeah, they're a nice point. And they've got like a point down to the front of the shoe as well.

[Joanna Fleming]

They do. And the heel height is perfect but it's a thicker heel so your weight is quite evenly distributed at the back. So I feel like that's for comfort. They retail for about $220 which for that mid range market I think Tony Banker Elias may a lot of those brands sitting in that area. So not too bad.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Also if they're comfortable.

[Joanna Fleming]

Well, this is the thing. I borrowed them and I'm like, I have to buy these. And that to me is like the ultimate. If I had the opportunity to try it before I could buy it, I'm like, yeah, yeah, let's go. And it checked out.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I also think those with the micro little mini shorts that you wore, like let me tell you, Rae dance and she danced in those shoes. So if she says they're comfortable. Yeah, they have had hours of testing. Let me assure you, they were great.

[Joanna Fleming]

All right, Madge, what's your wreck?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

So my wreck's just like a bit of a psa. You can just do it with what you've got. At home, I was getting so frustrated because I love a white tee and a tank, but. But I'm just notorious for, like, either spilling something or getting my makeup on it. And then my girlfriend was like, why are you not doing the hairspray trick? And I was like, the hairspray trick. So you get a hairspray. You just have to make sure it's unfragranced. Do the inside of your T shirt and the outside of your T shirt around the collar. You can also do under the arms if you're, like, prone to being a bit of a sweaty girl.

[Joanna Fleming]

No, I'm just that girl who always. This is so gross. But, like, spray tan marks.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. Well, see, it's for that, right? It's not just like a schwitze. It's like a spray. Spray tan. Schizzy. So you do that, and it helps eliminate the transfer from your makeup or fake tan. So I've been doing it for all my white tees and all my white tangs, and it is game changing.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I wonder what the science is behind that.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I don't know. I'm not going to myth bust that. Go ask Chad. Gbt. If we want to know listeners, I'll leave that to you. But all I know is I'm not here to question the witchcraft. Just after each wash, I go in with a little bit of hairspray for the next wear.

[Joanna Fleming]

We love a stylish hack. I think that's a good one. I need to try that.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah, yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

I'm actually pretty good with spillages.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I'm.

[Joanna Fleming]

I'm not a spilly person.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Neither am I. Typically. I get really angry at myself if I do spill something. This is out of character.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

We get it right. You're tall, you're sexy, you're coordinated. Meanwhile, I'm like, I'm five three. I'm uncoordinated, I'm unhinged. What else have we got? Your words.

[Joanna Fleming]

All right, let's get into it. Because I'm so excited about this episode. Mads, do you want to tell the listeners what we're tracing today?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

We are tracing Versace, and we have been debating off Mike, whether it's Versace or Versace, but we are going with Versace.

[Joanna Fleming]

We're going with Versace. We've done a bit of research there. Are a few videos out there. YouTube. I did watch the 73 questions with Donatello Versace and that was how it was said. So we're going to go with that.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

Cool.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And I think this is a lot of debating.

[Joanna Fleming]

I know. I'm really trying to convince myself that.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

So don't come for us. But I do think this is such an iconic brand and such an incredible story behind it. I was so excited when we decided to do this one.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I think this is one of the most interesting stories of a luxury fashion house.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I agree wholeheartedly.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Let's get into it.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Let's go, let's go.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

So we know Versace for the iconic gold Medusa logo and they're very glam kind of designs. What do you guys know about Versace before we jump into the traced?

[Joanna Fleming]

I didn't know a lot about the brand before we were researching this episode and going away and just doing my own homework. It, to be honest, is not my go to luxury brand. It is quite ostentatious and very out there. I usually gravitate more towards. How would you describe them? Subdued brands, understated. But I think they're an iconic house. I think as well they work with amazing celebrities. I love Dua Lipa and they did a collaboration. I think she was actually a co designer on the collaboration and that was quite fun. Vacation focus, like it was so beautiful and bold and sexy. I think sexy when I think about Versace.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. I do know a little bit because I watched the Assassination of Gianni Versace biopic and I absolutely love the supermodel era of Versace. So for me, I think I'm with you, Ray. It's just sexy, it's overt. It's not trying to be anything that it's not. And I just love how committed they are to that look and that aesthetic. And I think that has remained throughout. They're some of my favourite red carpet moments.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah. Major respect to them for that, for really sticking to their identity because it's very easy to move away from that and to kind of conform to everyone else. But they really do stand out. I mean, I'm pretty familiar with Donatella. She is very recognizable. You know, she's has created really big name for herself and I haven't seen the biopic, but I actually did hear about the murder of Gianni, which I think we're going to touch on in this episode, which I think is a really interesting turn in what ended up happening with the brand. Obviously very unfortunate for their family to go through but it is really interesting how that impacted the trajectory of the brand.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, that's so true.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Absolutely.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

All right, so let's jump into the traced then.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Okay, so in case you missed it, it was announced that Donatella Versace would be stepping down as creative director of her family's luxury fashion label. After nearly 30 years at the helm, Supermodels, celebrities, and those who've worked alongside Donatella all took to social media to express their adoration for her opulent, unmistakable aesthetic, as well as the impact that she has had on all of their lives. Dua Lipa shared a carousel to Instagram with the caption, no one does it like you, Donatella. Bella Hadid also thank Donatella for her role as fashion mother to us all, while JLO shared a heartfelt caption on Instagram that began with, Gianni would be so proud. But despite her success, Donatello is actually never meant to be Versace's leader. Today, we'll be tracing the tragic story behind one of the most recognizable luxury fashion houses and how Donatella Versace ensured its enduring legacy. But first, what comes to your minds when you think of Versace?

[Joanna Fleming]

Definitely do a label. I feel like in most recent years, they are just so top of mind, the little duo, they love each other so much on socials. Also, can we have a moment for the socials? I don't know if you guys remember, but the purple heart that Donatella Versace also became iconic for, do you remember this?

[Rhiannon Joyce]

No.

[Joanna Fleming]

I think Bella Hadid posted quite a serious post and then she put just like a purple heart emoji. And then so it became like this huge meme. But the purple heart emoji always comes top of mind. But just her beautiful friendship and I think the mutual respect that Dua Lipa and Donatella have for each other. And as before, that beautiful vacation collection that they did and they co collabed on, it was so fun, it was flirty, and I think it was a really great move to also maintain relevancy amongst, like, a younger generation as well.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, I agree.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

JLo's jungle dress.

[Joanna Fleming]

Oh, yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Oh, lest we forget.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah, I'd say that's the most iconic.

[Joanna Fleming]

Is that at the Grammys?

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I think. I'm sure, yeah. And then she wore it on the Runway only just recently, about a couple years ago.

[Joanna Fleming]

That's right.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

That was pretty iconic to have her do that.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Still looked just as hot in it, which was iconic. I also love one of their fragrances, by the way.

[Joanna Fleming]

Which one?

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Versace Eros. It's a men's fragrance. Actually, Adrienne was wearing it when we first started dating, and I love it. It's so nice.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, well played, Adrian.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah. So highly recommend trying that one out there.

[Joanna Fleming]

What about you, Mads?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I go between two moments, but the one that sticks out to me the most is the red dress that Cindy Crawford wore to the Oscars with Richard Gere. There are a few things that stick in my mind, the way her in that dress or those two as a couple stick in my brain. She looked absolutely incredible. And I think Versace a lot of the time. We think opulence and gold buttons and the Medusa and the safety pins. But for me, I think a lot about the female form and figure, and I think she just looked so incredible in that dress, and it feels so inherently Versace. She just oozed sex appeal. And I love. I loved it.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Elementary. And we can't see Taylor Swift wearing the bodysuit in her eras tour.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Of course.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah, that's Versace.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

So see, I just moved from Taylor Swift to Dua Lipa way too quickly. I'm like, which pop star girl is touring now?

[Joanna Fleming]

But she suits the pop star vibe.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, I agree.

[Joanna Fleming]

Just iconic look after look. Yeah, I'm not surprised.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

And awards shows as well. Yeah, they're standout pieces.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, she does a great red carpet dress.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yep, agree.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

So in order to trace the trajectory of Donatella's career, first we actually need to introduce you to a very, very important Versace member, and that is her brother, Gianni. Gianni Versace was born on December 2, 1946, in the Calabria region of southwest Italy, the third of four children. Gianni's older brother, Santo, was born in 1944, and his older sister, Fortunata, or Tina for short, was born in 1940. Tina sadly did pass away of a tetanus infection in 1952 and three years after her death. Donatella, her younger sister, was born in 1955. Gianni's mother, Franka, was a seamstress, and Gianni spent a lot of his childhood playing in the workroom, as I'm sure many of us are grateful to now. Gianni reportedly made his very first dress, which was a blue one shoulder evening dress at the ripe age of nine.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Oh, okay.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I think my mother was telling me to color in the lines at 9. But I'm glad Gianni was out making dresses.

[Joanna Fleming]

I love hearing stories about talent being identified so young. Like people being born this way. It's kind of like Tiger Woods. Not the best example, but he was like, apparently he was A kid in golf balls from the age of like two.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

It's like they're just almost like proteges.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. Really fun fact about this dress as well is that Princess Diana wore a version of this dress in 1996.

[Joanna Fleming]

I remember this dress.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

So this nine year old's vision has come to fruition on what would have been the most famous photographed woman in the world at that time.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I'm looking at this photo now.

[Joanna Fleming]

She looks incredible.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah. A floor length, one shoulder, kind of like satiny fabric.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Beautiful.

[Joanna Fleming]

Blue.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah. And she's wearing all blue. The dress, the bag, the shoes. Yeah. Wow.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Absolutely incredible.

[Joanna Fleming]

An icon.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Donatella and Gianni were very inseparable from an early age as siblings. And Gianni frequently called Donatella his muse. And they kept their close relationship right up until his tragic passing. Gianni designed for a number of established fashion houses in Milan throughout the early to mid-1970s. But he wasn't quite satisfied being a cog in someone else's machine and had much bigger plans for himself and a brand. And so in 1978, Gianni enlisted the help of his sister Donatella and his brother Santo to create a line under his own name. And right from the beginning, Gianni's designs were bright, bold, and ooze sexuality. So tick, tick, tick for all of the words and adjectives that you use to describe the brand, The New York Times wrote, his name became synonymous for many with vulgarity because of the way those baroque themes translated into flashy fashion, typified by the embrace of his clothes as an object of aspiration. In the movie Showgirls. Have we all seen Showgirls?

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yes.

[Joanna Fleming]

I have not.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I haven't either.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Let's play the clip. Nice dress.

[Joanna Fleming]

Thanks.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

It's a Versace.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

It's Versace.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

What? Versace. It's pronounced Versace.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Oh, you got great taste.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

You look beautiful.

[Joanna Fleming]

Thank you, guys. I'm not gonna lie. I heard Versace.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

This is gonna be my new Roman Empire. It's killing me. Okay, back to the timeline. Gianni's first collection debuted in 1978, and the response was pretty mixed, which is wild to think about now. But the Italian media slammed the show, calling Gianni's designs gimmicky and confused. It's also worth mentioning that Italian fashion was still pretty conservative at the time. Think knee length skirts were the norm? But Gianni wasn't really interested in adhering to convention. So he continued to dream up outlandish, exciting and provocative pieces. And Versace's popularity exploded over the next decade, in part due to the fact that Gianni's designs were nothing like anyone else's, but also because Gianni had his own secret sauce. And that is really, really good marketing. Which Ray. Oh, yeah, Branding gal.

[Joanna Fleming]

I'm here for it.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Versace's popularity really reached fever pitch when he aligned the label with celebrity and supermodel culture. And I think to say he aligned it is almost doing him a disservice because he really invented the supermodel era. I think there's a lot to credit him for. Here's how the New York Times described Versace. His relationship with the rich and famous. As much as Mr. Versace invented in fashion itself, he altered the presentation of the art completely. The first designer to tap into the publicity machine that the fashion show of today has become. He filled his front row with celebrity faces who were then photographed in high profile advertising campaigns shot by Richard Avedon, Bruce Weber, Herb Ritz and Helmut Newton. Gianni made friends with all the right people in all the right places. He counted Princess Diana, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Elton John and Anna Wintour as friends. And that list goes on.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, Quite the lineup.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

It was actually Anna Wintour who coined the famous phrase, Armani dresses the wife, Versace dresses the mistress.

[Joanna Fleming]

Oh, it's savage but iconic at the same time.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I mean, sure, it's rooted in pretty misogynistic stereotypes, but you've got to give it to her. It's a pretty iconic catchphrase.

[Joanna Fleming]

She's got away with words.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Versace had so many iconic celebrity moments throughout the 80s and 90s. And I mean, we've all alluded to one of them, albeit Dua Lipa, as kind of what we think of when we think Versace. But do any of you remember that dress that Liz Hurley wore on the red carpet?

[Joanna Fleming]

I remember this dress.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I don't think you could forget it.

[Joanna Fleming]

No, it's truly iconic.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I don't think she was that famous at this time either. Like she was dating Hugh Grant, but she wasn't a huge name for herself. But the dress is like plunging neckline. Is it velvet? I want to say it looks velvet.

[Joanna Fleming]

But it's got the iconic gold safety things on the side. It's quite revealing. A big side split. She looks incredible. She was not very famous at the time, as you said, Joe.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

No, I think she was acting, but not to sort of the scale and status.

[Joanna Fleming]

I'm pretty sure she was struggling to get dressed like be dressed at this event.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

She was, yeah. And so apparently the dress was a last minute loan because she couldn't actually get anyone else to loan her address.

[Joanna Fleming]

I feel like I've heard this story before.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

So as you both said, yes, she was dating Hugh Grant. She was there for Four Weddings in a Funeral. Great film. If you haven't seen it. She was there for the premiere. And basically the Liz Hurley dress was this famous red carpet moment because no one else would return her calls. And she shows up wearing this dress and arguably delivers one of the most iconic red carpet moments of the 80s 90s.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Love that move from her.

[Joanna Fleming]

I love hearing stories like that. That's same thing with Zendaya.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

And how Laroche won't work with the brands that originally said no to her. I think that is so iconic.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Nothing as much as that man holds the grudge, I'm like, you tell him. Seriously. A 90s British Vogue profile on Liz wrote that her arrival in that Versace dress has the same kind of significance in tabloid folklore that the Nativity does to Christians. The moment at which a star was born. Pretty incredible to think that this rise to fame for her was attributed to address. And throughout Gianni's own rise to global fame, he remained extremely close to Donatella and Santo, his siblings. In 1989, Gianni gifted Donatella her own line under the Versace umbrella, a diffusion line called Versus Versace. And I mean, I don't know about you guys, I've got two stepsisters and a half sister and I can honestly say none of them have given me a clothing line.

[Joanna Fleming]

I love nepotism. It's brilliant. Here you go.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

A little prezzy just for you. Versus was an opportunity for Donatella to experiment with designing a little bit more of a laid back rock chick version of the quintessential Versace look. Around this same time, Gianni made a foray into couture Atelier Versace debuted during Haute Couture Fashion Week at the Hotel Ritz in Paris in 1990. And the early 90s were an absolutely massive time for the brand. Gianni was nothing short of prolific. And the things he accomplished between 1989 and 1994 are honestly mind boggling. He forever changed the nature of fashion shows, transforming them into something akin to a rock concert. There were celebrities seated front row, which I know now seems like so nonchalant. But this was revolutionary at the time.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

And he was like the first to do banging music like it was more of a concert.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And paparazzi present at fashion shows. Like these were all new things. I know they feel like the norm now, but he basically invented this as behavior at fashion shows set the standard. He also discovered some very, very recognizable top models of the time. Now, we want to talk about a rap sheet that we had before. We are talking Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, and Naomi Campbell, who all regularly featured on the Runway and in his advertising campaigns during the period. Unsurprisingly, he is the one credited with popularizing the 90s supermodel phenomenon.

[Joanna Fleming]

I mean, that list, the OG supermodels.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

They are the 90s supermodels.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. If you haven't seen the Apple TV.

[Joanna Fleming]

Series, I need to Watch It.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

It is one of the best pieces of fashion TV series I've watched. So I really. What's the.

[Joanna Fleming]

Oh, wait, the supermodel one. Yeah, I have seen that.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

So we've spoken about a very public Gianni, but then in 1994, he completely retreated from public life altogether. We'll be exploring Donatella's entry into the business in a little moment, but first, let's hear a word from today's sponsor.

[Adidas Sponsor]

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[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

So there's been a lot of speculation about what happened to Gianni Versace in the years leading up to his passing. Now, this isn't a true crime podcast Punch to Joe's.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I wish it was. I wish I was hosting a true crime podcast.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Zara and Michelle, if you're listening. So we're gonna try and keep this brief, but I do think talking about his death is important to this trace. But essentially, Gianni retreated from public life, and his family later cited a rare inner ear cancer as the reason for his disappearance. As it happened, little sister Donatella unofficially took over as creative director, but not without Gianni's help. In the same 2006 New York magazine interview, Donatella told Ariel Levy the last two years of Gianni's life. I was going into his apartment, showing him the work, getting the approval from him, but I ran the company because he wasn't showing himself. It was like a year and a half. I did everything. So then we get to 1997 in July, and Gianni was murdered. Like we said earlier, this is not a true crime podcast, but if you're interested in the nitty gritty of Gianni Versace's murder and the man who killed him, we'd recommend reading Maureen Orth's book, Vulgar Favors. There was also a Ryan Murphy series that I watched and really loved called the Assassination of Gianni Versace, which was based on Maureen's book. So if you don't feel like turning pages and you feel like some, I'd say, heavy tv, I would recommend.

[Joanna Fleming]

Quite dark.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

It's quite dark, for sure.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

The family aren't that crash hot on the book. No, they're not.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

No, they're not. And the reason for that is both the book and the TV series reference Gianni as being HIV positive, and that being his reason for stepping back and out of public life and the spotlight. So I think there's a lot of conversation and distaste by them around that conversation.

[Joanna Fleming]

We've got a bit more on that later as well.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. So anyway, on the morning of July 15, 1997, Gianni woke in his Miami mansion. He called his sister Donatella, who was busy preparing for Versace's show in Italy, and then went for a walk to his local cafe. When he returned, it was about 8:45am and Gianni was shot twice by Andrew Cunninan, a serial killer who had murdered four other men across the U.S. while investigators discovered that Andrew, who was dealing an array of drugs and had a reputation for befriending wealthy older men, had either met or had relationships with most of his victims, there's still no known motives for his murder of Gianni.

[Joanna Fleming]

Such a dark story.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Such a dark story. And I think you're right, Jo, when you said this is one of the most interesting, complex stories in fashion house history. But at the time of Andrew's killing spree, there was speculation in the press that the crimes were linked to his discovery that he himself was HIV positive and that he may have been seeking revenge by killing former lovers or clients he believed he'd contracted it from. But his autopsy later revealed that he was HIV negative. So a lot of speculation, but we can kind of put that theory to bed based on that autopsy result. While Andrew's motivation for killing Gianni still to this day remains unknown. He was obsessed with him and told those around him that they had A really close relationship. Also worth noting that Andrew apparently had delusions of grandeur though, and claimed to be close friends with many, many celebrities.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Okay.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

It's alleged that Gianni and Andrew did meet briefly at a San Francisco nightclub in 1990 and they potentially came into contact with each other on other occasions because they were both involved in sex for hire circles in both San Francisco and and Miami. But Gianni's family has always denied that these two people had ever met. Okay, let's go back to the day of Gianni's murder. Gianni's partner Antonio D'Amico was inside the house at the time and actually was the one to run out onto the front footsteps and discover Gianni's body, which just horrific for a partner to discover. Andrew, the murderer, had fled the scene and was found dead in a nearby luxury boathouse. Eight days later. He died from a self inflicted gunshot wound. And when police searched the boathouse, they found no suicide note and minimal personal belongings. News of Gianni's death, as you can imagine, rocked the entire world, not just the fashion industry. The funeral, to call it star studded feels like an understatement. It was held at Milan Cathedral on 22 July in 1997 and was attended by over 2,000 guests. I don't know about you guys, but I often think about there's quite famous footage of both Elton John and Lady Diana next to each other. You know, both obviously distressed at the death of their friend. But there were some very famous faces at that funeral. Despite their lives being completely torn apart by Gianni's death, the remaining Versace siblings were tasked with continuing the family business. Because Gianni had fallen ill in the years before his death, he'd actually made sure to prepare a pretty detailed will and succession plan for the business in the event of his death. Donatella told New York magazine in 2006 he was sick with cancer in his ear before he was murdered the last two years of his life. Gianni was hiding because his ear was so big. It was impossible to do a surgery because of the position, because to do a surgery, part of his face was supposed to drop. Contrary to this though, in Vulgar Favors, the book by Maureen Orth we mentioned earlier, she quoted Miami detective Paul Scrimshaw as saying, I was able to find out from autopsy results that he'd tested positive for hiv. Oh, the Versace family has always denied these allegations. They are adamant that he was not diagnosed with HIV before his death. According to Vanity Fair, the Versace's family's vehement denials about Gianni's HIV status were not motivated by personal shame, but by strategic business concerns. They feared that the publicity discussing a life threatening diagnosis could negatively impact the planned initial public offering, or ipo, and potentially reduce the company's market value.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, I mean, we have to think about the time in which this happened. This is the 90s. It was a lot of noise in the media. There was a lot of disruption, discrimination, I think.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

I don't judge them for having that perspective, given that that's probably how it would have actually played out at that point.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

It's just very sad.

[Joanna Fleming]

It's so sad situation that we're in. It's awful.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Really good point though, Ray, because if you go back and look at any of the HIV ads that were around at this time being circulated across the media, in print, on tv, magazines, it was fear mongering.

[Adidas Sponsor]

Fear mongering.

[Joanna Fleming]

Very dark.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. So back to Gianni's will. He left the 30% of his company to his brother Santo. He left 20% to Donatella, which might surprise listeners if you don't know this story. And the remaining 50% was left to Donatella's then 11 year old daughter Allegra, which she would then inherit when she came of age turning 18.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I think this is one of the most interesting facts about this story because he obviously didn't know that he was gonna be murdered that early on. Yes, he knew he was unwell to a degree, but he probably wasn't thinking she was going to inherit 50% of the business at 11 years old.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

No.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

And yet she did. But I don't want to gloss over that because it is a really interesting part of the story because she has a younger brother as well, might I add. So very awkward for him. I think he did inherit an art collection though, based on what I read. So he didn't go completely empty handed. But in an interview, Donatella actually said that Gianni idolized my daughter and always called her my little princess. But he put a tremendous burden on her with his will making headlines at the age of 11. I wouldn't wish that on any child. She said by giving half of Versace to my daughter, he forced me to take responsibility for the company until she came of age. Without this trick in the will, I might have left the company after his death.

[Joanna Fleming]

That's what it felt like to me. It was a strategic way to keep her at the business and obviously the way it played out, he had no control over, as you said, Jo, his death. But it did feel like A very tactical ploy to try and keep his sister there.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah. And Allegra didn't actually accept the shares or take her place on the board of directors until 2011, when she was 24, apparently, according to Grazia.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

It's such an interesting piece of the story.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. And I imagine it creates a very interesting mother daughter dynamic and power play that is going on when someone is freshly 18 that you are part of a company that I own majority of.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah. She's led a very private life, though.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. The decision was very much puzzled by those on the outside. A lot of people actually speculated that there'd been a sibling falling out and that the will had been updated to reflect that, because the percentages we're comparing for the two siblings are very different to what was left to Allegra. And as you mentioned, Donatella became guardian of Allegra's portion of the company until she was old enough to claim it, which that was from 1997 to 2004. So a hell of a period. It was announced in September of 1997 that Donatella would take over as both creative director and chief designer. And in 2017, Donatella told the Guardian, when my brother was murdered, I had the eyes of the whole world on me. And 99% of them thought I wasn't going to make it. And maybe I thought the same at first. My brother was the king and my whole world had crashed around me. So throughout her entire first decade leading Versace, Donatella struggled with a cocaine addiction, which she did eventually seek inpatient treatment for in 2005. Many wondered if she was actually up to the task of continuing her brother's legacy. And nearly 30 years after Gianni's death, I think it's very safe for us to sit in this room and say she has.

[Joanna Fleming]

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

So we've had Gianni tragically murdered in 1997. And then we get to Donatella's first collection as creative director and head designer. She debuts in Milan. And we're talking less than three months after her brother's death. A neon sign at the versace Spring Summer 1998 show read, this show is dedicated to our brother Gianni's love of work and to our entire staff whose incredible love and devotion was so precious to our brother and means so much to us. We thank each and every one of them. Donatello described the collection as imperfect, glamour, anti retro and unminimalist. For the New York Times, Amy Spindler wrote, the victory of this collection was that in a state of mourning with so much pressure and so much pain. Ms. Versace could produce anything at all. She is a survivor and the house will be, too.

[Joanna Fleming]

That's such a beautiful quote.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Such a beautiful quote.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah. Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss opened the show as well. So I think that really does signify how all of these big names were really behind her as much as they possibly could be during this time to get her up and about, because that would have been so challenging to do that show three months later.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

The fact that show was not canceled is astounding to me. And it's a testament to probably the IPO pressures and stresses that were on that brand to deliver that. That was a commercial decision that as a company, they had to make.

[Joanna Fleming]

I also think a lot of that collection still very cool now.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

So cool.

[Joanna Fleming]

So cool.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

The best way I can describe it, imagine an episode of Sex and the City. Yes, it's essential. Everything they're wearing, like cowl necks, tailoring, capri pants. Love it.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Sounds like the collection of every Australian fashion label right now. So a year later, we have Donatella's first haute couture collection as head designer, and she hits the Runway in Paris. But her first big pop culture moment as creative director came in the year 2000, and it wasn't on a Runway in Paris or Milan. And Jo, I'll give you a clue. It may. It may have something to do with what you referenced earlier.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Enter the jungle dress.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Jenni from the vlog, Here She Comes. It is, in fact JLo's jungle dress, and it quite frankly broke the Internet. Or should we say that the dress actually made the Internet because it quite literally did reinvent the Internet. On 23 February 2000, the 42nd Grammy Awards were held at the Staples center in Los Angeles. But despite the abundance of star power in the room, there was one artist that became synonymous with this specific event, and that was, of course, Ms. Jennifer Lopez. When JLO arrived at the evening, photographers immediately swarmed, as you can imagine, to catch a snap of her red carpet dress. And of course, she's wearing Versace. I'm sure many of our listeners have seen this dress, but for those who've missed it, it's a green long sleeve chiffon dress printed with palm leaf print designs across it. The plunging neckline went well below her belly button where it was loosely fastened with a jeweled brooch. The lower half of the dress billowed out of the brooch, kind of like a cape for the legs.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, that's a good description.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

When JLo appeared on stage, to present an award that night, her co presenter David Duchovny said, this is the first time in five or six years that I'm sure that nobody is looking at me. At the time, Google search was strictly text based. I know that may be hard to believe, but as more and more people search for Jennifer Lopez green dress, Google's developers realized that they needed to expand their search function to actually include images.

[Joanna Fleming]

That is such a good fun fact.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

It is, isn't it?

[Joanna Fleming]

Imagine being JLo.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

That's something you could take to a dinner party that fast.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

What a flex like truly to say you invented Google Images.

[Joanna Fleming]

I am the reason Google Images exist.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I'm so hot that Google had to change.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

So if any of you have ever thought JLo's got an ego now, you know that it is completely and utterly justified. But the Grammys dress was just one of those memorable Donatella Versace moments and one of the incredible career highlights for her. Upon news of her departure, Forbes reported, Donatella Versace developed the brand spirit and created a unique image that encapsulated Versace's past and embraced the future by keeping up with the times and technological developments. It became one of the go to brands for celebrity red carpet events and is synonymous with sexy glamour and timeless elegance.

[Joanna Fleming]

I think if you come back to what we were saying at the start of the episode, that is exactly what all of us were thinking and saying. Joe, you referenced the red carpet moments. I was thinking sexy, bold. Same as you, Mads. Yeah, it's pretty impressive.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I feel like she's always lived in Gianni's shadow and yet she's totally, I don't want to say eclipse. She has stood on her own two feet and delivered just as many, if not more iconic moments. Yet I can't help but feel like she hasn't been able to shake living in Gianni's shadow.

[Joanna Fleming]

I think when you have a story that is as dark and as grand as what this is, which coming back to his murder, I think that is always going to be hard to shake because it was a very dramatic moment. It was a lot of eyeballs on them. I think naturally the media were always going to have a frenzy with that.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. Unfortunately I do feel for her though.

[Joanna Fleming]

Oh yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Because even now we're talking about it.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

There was another huge moment for Donatella which was the versace spring summer 2018 show where she actually paid hom to Gianni 20 years after his passing. And the show's sound design included a moving speech from Donatella to her Late brother. We're going to play a little clip of it for you now.

[Unnamed Speaker]

This is a celebration of a genius. This is a celebration of an icon. This is a celebration of my brother. Imagine a world without his risk taking, his innovative genius, and above all, his allegiance to women. A world without his tongue in cheek, in your face, jaw dropping creations. I will zig when the world zags. A body is never just a body. Sassiness.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Sounds like something I want to dance to in a club. I was about to say.

[Joanna Fleming]

I was really bopping away there. Great soundtrack in the back.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

The collection itself was actually built around Gianni's archives, so in particular his autumn winter 1992 collection. At the end of the show, the back curtain opened to reveal Gianni's original supermodels.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

What a moment.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Behind the curtain was Helena Christensen, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and Carla Bruni standing side by side and on podiums in long dresses made of gold oritan metal mesh, a material invented by Gianni.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

And it was a bit of a full circle moment because Kaia Gerber was walking in that show, so Cindy Crawford's daughter. And so it was a bit of a moment for like, this brand is still as relevant now as it was then. I really loved to see that.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

When I was watching the 73 Questions with Donatello, the Vogue series on YouTube, they asked her why she waited 20 years. And she said, because. And I'm paraphrasing here, but she said, because it finally wasn't painful for me to talk about it. Like it took that long for her to be able to celebrate his life. And I was like, oh, that actually.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Makes me well up. Cause we're sitting here talking about someone who lost their brother and to live with that pressure and that sadness and those be so intertwined. I think she would have been constantly surrounded by the memory and thought of him and his designs 20 years on to be able to do that, like, what a beautiful moment for her and for their family.

[Joanna Fleming]

Absolutely.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And the show really did kind of mark a historical moment. And I know we've spoken about her living in Gianni's shadow, but I think that moment really cemented her rightful place as the successor to the Versace sort of kingdom. So, as we said at the top of the episode, on the 13th of March this year, it was actually announced that Donatello would be stepping down as creative director and the head designer for Versace. On April 1, Donatella handed the torch to Dario Vitale, an Italian fashion designer and the former design and image Director of Miu Miu. The move was described as part of a thoughtful succession plan by the CEO of Versace's parent company, Capri Holdings. During Dario's time at Miu Miu, it's reported by Prada that the company saw a 93% increase in retail sales and I think, safe to say catapulted back into the zeitgeist during that time.

[Joanna Fleming]

Oh, yeah, I think about the micro mini skirts, I mean, still having a moment.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Totally.

[Joanna Fleming]

But they've had some iconic looks and I feel like great celebrity alignment as well. So it'd be really interesting to see how that shifts and I always love watching that what celebrities follow, what creative director.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I agree.

[Joanna Fleming]

Interesting to see what happens there.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Very good point, Riri. The industry's been largely positive about Dario's appointment and this move. Although the challenge of leading a previously family run business may prove slightly more challenging for Dario than it has been at Miu Miu. He is, after all, the first non Versace to run Versace.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

But Donatella is not completely disappearing, is she? So she can still kind of have some involvement there.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Exactly. So Donatella will very much still be involved in the business as chief Brand ambassador, which I imagine comes with a hearty fee as well.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yep.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

In a press release on Capri holdings website, Donatella is quoted as saying, championing the next generation of designers has always been important to me. It's been the greatest honor of my life to carry on my brother Gianni's legacy. He was the true genius. But I hope I have some of his spirit and tenacity. As news of the change in leadership broke, so too did the rumours. Rumours have been heavily circulating about a potential sale of Versace to the Prada group for a reported price tag of nearly 1.5 billion euros.

[Joanna Fleming]

Oh, there's so much noise about this at the moment.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

So much. And where there's smoke, there's fire. I think this is. I would suspect this is a very deliberate move. I don't think it's a coincidence that Dario has been appointed and has catapulted Mumu to what they are. I think this is them going, you go there, let's see how quickly we can get this rocket to space and then we'll buy it. Journalists tend to agree, saying that they feel this is a very timely selection and that his selection is signaling good news for the deal. Rumours at the time of recording this episode, the sale is not yet finalised or confirmed, so we'll have to stay tuned and maybe keep an eye out for headlines Yeah, I was going to.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Say it's going to be in a future Headlines episode, I'm sure.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

For sure.

[Joanna Fleming]

So what do you guys think about Dario being selected to take over? What do you think his immediate impact is going to be?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I would be shocked if there's not more that comes out of the accessory space. I feel that Miu Miu really catapulted back in when they really switched the bitch with the bags. I think they made these iconic handbags that everyone was seen wearing and sunglasses. Yes. And there was a real celebrity movement, too. The star power of Versace is there with celebrity. You alluded to it with Dua Lipa. We've spoken about it with Taylor Swift. Like, the celebrity backing is there. Think how they can use that in more accessible pieces. Because while we've all sat here in reference Versace, I think we're referencing clothing a lot. Albeit Adrian's first fragrance when he met you, I think there's more that they can do in terms of those items that are more accessible, like sunglasses, handbags, shoes, to kind of be able to get that younger generation on.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, I think it's going to be interesting because I think both Mew Mew and Versace honor women, but in very different ways. Their look and feel are distinctively different. I think Versace plays in the space. It's very bold, it's very colorful, quite ostentatious. Miu Miu feels a little bit more subdued, a bit more playful, a bit younger. You know, even the colorways, lots of grey, blush, pinks. It'll be interesting to see if there's any influence in that regard.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

But I think overall, I'm really excited to see what happens. And I think all the story that follows with the potential acquisition, that's the part I'm obsessed with. I just love getting into the weeds of the deals.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

The brands are just so different. Yes, Versace and Miu Miu are completely different brands, but they both have a very strong identity, and I think if that's what he's good at, then he's going to succeed in this role. If he can hone in on that identity and further support that, then I think they could do really well.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, I'm excited.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I'm excited to see how both Gianni and Donatella's vision for Versace is honored by his arrival. I am holding my breath for this collection to be shown, and I'm really excited to see it.

[Joanna Fleming]

So exciting.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And I'm with you, Ray. I can't wait to hear whether Prada group acquires this brand or not. We'll stay tuned. But that is all for this episode of Stylish. Thank you very much for joining us. And of course, thanks very much to you, Joanna Fleming, and you, Rhiannon Joyce, our favorite fill in host.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

And you, Mads, for hosting that.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, that was a lengthy one. You did very well. It was so interesting though. Like, this story is just so incredible and I really enjoyed it.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. And researching this has been so fun. I think you forget how many wonderful red carpet moments and iconic moments there are within that. And there's lots of TV and books to read and all the things. I loved it.

[Joanna Fleming]

A lot of takeaways.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. Remember, you can drop us an email [e-mail] or you can slide into our DMs over tyle underscoreishau. We of course, can't forget to thank the wonderful shameless media team, head of podcast Lucy Hunt, senior podcast producer Kate Emmerburg, and of course, for every trace, our beloved Rick researcher Chloe Wilson. We'll be right back with you next week. See you then. See you guys.

[Joanna Fleming]

This podcast was recorded on Wurundjeri land.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Always was, always will be aboriginal land.