House of Versace
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Versace. The very name conjures up images of outrageous glamour and bold sexuality, opulence and daring. All of course true, but only half the story. Versace is also the legacy of a great creative genius from a poor, backward part of southern Italy who transformed the fashion world through his intuitive understanding of both women and how a changing culture influenced the way they wanted to dress. The first book in English about the legendary designer, House of Versace shows how Gianni Versace, with his flamboyant sister Donatella at his side, combined his virtuosic talent and extraordinary ambition to almost single-handedly create the celebrity culture we take for granted today.
Gianni Versace was at the height of his creative powers when he was murdered in Miami Beach. The story was front page news around the world and the manhunt for his killer a media obsession. His beloved sister Donatella demanded no less than a funeral befitting an assassinated head-of-state to be held in Milan’s magnificent cathedral. In what was the ultimate fashion show, the world’s rich and beautiful – Princess Dianna, Elton John, Carla Bruni, Naomi Campbell, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Anna Wintour and others – gathered to mourn a man already considered one of fashion’s great pioneers.
Deborah Ball, a long-time Milan correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, conducted hundreds of interviews with Versace family members, Gianni Versace’s lovers and business rivals, models such as Naomi Campbell whom he helped shoot to international stardom and fashion industry icons, including Anna Wintour, the legendary editor of Vogue.
Ball vividly recounts the behind-the scenes struggles – both creative and business – of Donatella as she stepped out of her brother’s long shadow and took control of the House of Versace. The book offers the first inside look at the enormous challenges Donatella faced in living up to Gianni’s genius, her struggle with a drug habit, her battles with her brother Santo and the mystery of why Gianni left control of his house to Donatella’s young daughter, Allegra. House of Versace is a compelling, highly readable tale of rise from obscurity, a painful fall and ultimate redemption as the Versace empire returned to health – for now.
Bringing together fashion, celebrity, business drama, jet-set lifestyles, and a notorious crime, House of Versace is an old-fashioned page-turner about a subject of enduring fascination.
From the Hardcover edition.
Gianni Versace was at the height of his creative powers when he was murdered in Miami Beach. The story was front page news around the world and the manhunt for his killer a media obsession. His beloved sister Donatella demanded no less than a funeral befitting an assassinated head-of-state to be held in Milan’s magnificent cathedral. In what was the ultimate fashion show, the world’s rich and beautiful – Princess Dianna, Elton John, Carla Bruni, Naomi Campbell, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Anna Wintour and others – gathered to mourn a man already considered one of fashion’s great pioneers.
Deborah Ball, a long-time Milan correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, conducted hundreds of interviews with Versace family members, Gianni Versace’s lovers and business rivals, models such as Naomi Campbell whom he helped shoot to international stardom and fashion industry icons, including Anna Wintour, the legendary editor of Vogue.
Ball vividly recounts the behind-the scenes struggles – both creative and business – of Donatella as she stepped out of her brother’s long shadow and took control of the House of Versace. The book offers the first inside look at the enormous challenges Donatella faced in living up to Gianni’s genius, her struggle with a drug habit, her battles with her brother Santo and the mystery of why Gianni left control of his house to Donatella’s young daughter, Allegra. House of Versace is a compelling, highly readable tale of rise from obscurity, a painful fall and ultimate redemption as the Versace empire returned to health – for now.
Bringing together fashion, celebrity, business drama, jet-set lifestyles, and a notorious crime, House of Versace is an old-fashioned page-turner about a subject of enduring fascination.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback
A fascinating account of an extraordinary man and company. A great read, even for those not in the fashion world.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
20 reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
The full tale, well told
17 Mar 2010
Format:Hardcover
A WSJ biz writer who lived in Europe for 15 years wrote this full scale business bio of the Versace tragedy, and it's a great read in all its pathos. She received full cooperation from everyone except Allegra Versace, daughter of Donatella and heiress to the house of Versace because her late uncle willed it all to her when she was just 12. Donatella's drug use is not spared here, but she received even-handed treatment as we see exactly what she faced when Gianni Versace was murdered in Miami and left her to replace him as the designing genius. She wasn't up to the task, but she muddled through. The story ends recently, but the tale of Versace is still unfolding. The main flaw is the relative lack of good photos. We get several generic shots of Casa Casuarina, the Ocean Drive mansion where Versace was shot. But there are none of the Milan atelier where all the clothes are designed and where a lot of this tale takes place.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Excellent, but cries for more photographs
17 April 2010
Format:Hardcover
This is an exceptional read and I enjoyed it thoroughly. If you have any interest in the fashion business, marketing or Italy, you will not be disappointed reading this vivid, well-researched and well-written story. The only reason I am not giving it 5 stars is that it is very light on photographs and the subject matter just cries for more photography -- of his fashions, of the principals involved, of the lush homes and locations described. I had to resort to Google to fill in the gaps but that didn't satisfy completely. Otherwise, terrific book. She really did her homework.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
A gripping story, well-written and well-told
12 Mar 2010
Format:Hardcover
The Versace family's story is riveting. It's basically a rags to riches story with celebrities, rock 'n' roll, and murder mixed in. On top of that, there's a moving finale, when Donatella descends into drugs, nearly trashes the company, and then fights her way back from the depths and emerges again to live another day. It would be a happy ending, except that the company is still struggling and Versace's heir, Allegra, is still grappling with the fallout from it all.
In less sure hands, the over-the-top material would overwhelm the author. Deborah Ball does an excellent job of capturing the drama and pathos while still getting the facts straight. The result is a behind-the-scenes peek at life in the fast lane that at the same time offers insight into the characthers' inner lives. The book uses the family history as a way of looking at the changes in the fashion world in the past decades, and the impact that Gianni had on it. So anyone looking for a perspective on the fashion business, and for insight on how the fashion business has affected consumer tastes, would find food for thought here. And it doesn't have the warmed-over feel of a mish-mash of old press clippings, because it's clearly well researched. The author's time as a fashion reporter in Italy clearly helps make the book authentic.
In less sure hands, the over-the-top material would overwhelm the author. Deborah Ball does an excellent job of capturing the drama and pathos while still getting the facts straight. The result is a behind-the-scenes peek at life in the fast lane that at the same time offers insight into the characthers' inner lives. The book uses the family history as a way of looking at the changes in the fashion world in the past decades, and the impact that Gianni had on it. So anyone looking for a perspective on the fashion business, and for insight on how the fashion business has affected consumer tastes, would find food for thought here. And it doesn't have the warmed-over feel of a mish-mash of old press clippings, because it's clearly well researched. The author's time as a fashion reporter in Italy clearly helps make the book authentic.
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