Giovanni Maria "Gianni" Versace (; 2 December 1946 – 15 July 1997) was an Italian fashion designer, socialite and businessman. He was the founder of

Versace Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978 known for flashy prints and bright colors. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as w ...

, an international luxury-fashion house that produces accessories, fragrances, make-up, home furnishings and clothes. He also designed costumes for theatre and films. As a friend of

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

Princess Diana Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

Naomi Campbell Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is an English model, actress, singer, and businesswoman. She began her career at the age of 15, and established herself amongst the most recognisable and in-demand models of the past four decades. Cam ...

Kate Moss Katherine Ann Moss (born 16 January 1974) is a British model. Arriving at the end of the "supermodel era", Moss rose to fame in the early 1990s as part of the heroin chic fashion trend. Her collaborations with Calvin Klein brought her to fas ...

, Madonna,

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...

and many other celebrities, he was one of the first designers to link fashion to the music world. He and his partner

Antonio D'Amico Antonio D'Amico (20 January 1959 – 6 December 2022) was an Italian fashion designer and model. Biography D'Amico was born in Mesagne, in the Italian province of Brindisi, and later lived in Milan. He was hired as a part-time office admini ...

were regulars on the international party scene. The place where he was born and raised,

Reggio Calabria Reggio di Calabria ( scn, label= Southern Calabrian, Riggiu; el, label= Calabrian Greek, Ρήγι, Rìji), usually referred to as Reggio Calabria, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, is the largest city in Calabria. It has an estimated popul ...

, greatly influenced his career. On 15 July 1997, he was murdered outside his

Miami Beach Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter of which sep ...

mansion,

Casa Casuarina Casa Casuarina, also known as the Versace Mansion, is an American property built in 1930, renowned for being owned by and the place of the murder of the Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace; he lived there from 1992 until his death in 1997. It ...

, by spree killer Andrew Cunanan.

Early life

Giovanni Maria Versace was born in the city of

on 2 December 1946 and grew up with his elder brother Santo Versace and younger sister

Donatella Versace Donatella Francesca Versace (; born 2 May 1955) is an Italian fashion designer, businesswoman, socialite, and model. She is the sister of Gianni Versace, founder of the luxury fashion company Versace, with whom she worked closely on the developm ...

, along with their father and dressmaker mother, Francesca. An older sister, Tina, died at age 12 because of an improperly treated

tetanus Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is a bacterial infection caused by ''Clostridium tetani'', and is characterized by muscle spasms. In the most common type, the spasms begin in the jaw and then progress to the rest of the body. Each spasm usually ...

infection. Versace was strongly influenced by

ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

history, which dominates the historical landscape of his birthplace. He attended Liceo Classico Tommaso Campanella, where he studied Latin and ancient Greek, without completing the course. He was also influenced by

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...

. Versace began his apprenticeship at a young age at his mother's sewing business, which employed up to a dozen

seamstress A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes custom clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua-makers, and are also known as a modiste or fabrician. Nota ...

es. He became interested in architecture before moving to

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

at the age of 26 to work in fashion design. In 1973, he became the designer of "Byblos", a successful

Genny Genny is an Italian ready-to-wear manufacturer. It was founded in Ancona in 1961 by Arnaldo Girombelli. History Born in Ancona, Arnaldo Girombelli was the owner of a boutique with an adjacent small tailor workshop for skirts and blouses in ...

's youthful line, and in 1977, he designed Complice, another, more experimental, line for Genny. A few years later, encouraged by his success, Versace presented his first signature collection for women at the Palazzo Della Permanente Art Museum of Milan. His first fashion show followed in September of the same year. His first boutique was opened in Milan's

Via della Spiga Via della Spiga (; literally "Alley of the Ear") is one of the Italian city of Milan's top shopping streets, forming the north-east boundary of the luxurious '' Quadrilatero della Moda'' (literally, "fashion quadrilateral"), along with Via Monte ...

in 1978.

Fashion empire

After opening his Milan boutique in 1978, Versace quickly became a sensation on the international fashion scene. His designs employed vivid colors, bold prints and sexy cuts, which were a refreshing contrast to the prevailing taste for muted colors and simplicity. His aesthetic, which "combined luxurious classicism with overt sexuality", attracted much criticism in addition to praise. He is quoted as saying, "I don't believe in good taste", which was reflected in his "brazen defiance of the rules of fashion". A saying referencing Versace's rivalry with Giorgio Armani was: "Armani dresses the wife, Versace dresses the mistress." From 1978, Versace built the company with the support of his family, employing his sister Donatella as vice president and his brother Santo as president of the company. Donatella's purview extended to creative oversight, where she acted as a key consultant to Versace. Gianni would also come to employ Donatella's husband, Paul Beck, as menswear director. Among Versace's most famous innovations was his 1982 invention of a type of super-light

chainmail Chain mail (properly called mail or maille but usually called chain mail or chainmail) is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. It was in common military use between the 3rd century BC and ...

called 'Oroton', which became a signature material in his outfits. His suits were inspired more by his experience in female tailoring, departing from masculine

Savile Row Savile Row (pronounced ) is a street in Mayfair, central London. Known principally for its traditional bespoke tailoring for men, the street has had a varied history that has included accommodating the headquarters of the Royal Geographical ...

models by crafting suits that accentuated the male form and "insisted on men as sex objects." Versace was very proud of his southern Italian heritage and infused his designs with motifs inspired by historical fashion and art movements, especially Graeco-Roman art. This is evident in the company's logo, the

Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; Ancient Greek: Μέδουσα "guardian, protectress"), also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those ...

Head, and recurring motifs like the Greek key. He also allowed his love for contemporary art to inspire his work, creating graphic prints based on the art of

Roy Lichtenstein Roy Fox Lichtenstein (; October 27, 1923 – September 29, 1997) was an American pop artist. During the 1960s, along with Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, and James Rosenquist among others, he became a leading figure in the new art movement. Hi ...

and

. In 1982, Versace expanded the business into jewelry and housewares, designing luxury furnishings, china and textiles for the home. He was unusual in retaining complete creative control over all aspects of his company. In 1984 and '85, he contributed a specially appointed Gianni Versace Edition to the Mark VII line of US luxury automaker

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

. In 1989, the firm expanded into '' haute couture'' with the launch of Atelier Versace. Versace became known for employing celebrities in his marketing campaigns and seating them in the front rows of his fashion shows, the first to do so. He is also credited with inventing the supermodel vogue of the 1990s, by discovering and featuring major supermodels like

Christy Turlington Christy Nicole Turlington Burns (born January 2, 1969) is an American model and humanitarian. She represented Calvin Klein (fashion house), Calvin Klein's Eternity campaign in 1989 and again in 2014, and also represents Maybelline. Turlington w ...

and

Linda Evangelista Linda Evangelista (; born May 10, 1965) is a Canadian fashion model. She is regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential models of all time, and has been featured on over 700 magazine covers. Evangelista is primarily known for being ...

, all of whom he featured both on the runway and in advertisement campaigns. Inside versace store

At the time of his death, Versace's empire was valued at $807 million and included 130 boutiques across the world.

Stage designs

Throughout his career, Versace was a prolific costume designer for stage productions and performing artists. He stated, "for me the theatre is liberation", and his designs were well served by his penchant for bold colors, drapery, embellishment, and an encyclopedic knowledge of fashion history. He was a collaborator at the

La Scala Theatre Ballet The La Scala Theatre Ballet ( it, Corpo di ballo del Teatro alla Scala) is the resident classical ballet company at La Scala in Milan, Italy. One of the oldest and most renowned ballet companies in the world, the company pre-dates the theatre, bu ...

in Milan and designed the costumes for the

Strauss Strauss, Strauß or Straus is a common Germanic surname. Outside Germany and Austria ''Strauß'' is always spelled ''Strauss'' (the letter " ß" is not used in the German-speaking part of Switzerland). In classical music, "Strauss" usually re ...

ballet ''

Josephslegende ''Josephslegende'' (''The Legend of Joseph''), Op. 63, is a ballet in one act for the Ballets Russes based on the story of Potiphar's Wife, with a libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal and Harry Graf Kessler and music by Richard Strauss. Composed ...

'' in 1982 and

Donizetti Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was an Italian composer, best known for his almost 70 operas. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, he was a leading composer of the ''bel canto'' opera style duri ...

's ''

Don Pasquale ''Don Pasquale'' () is an opera buffa, or comic opera, in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti with an Italian libretto completed largely by Giovanni Ruffini as well as the composer. It was based on a libretto by Angelo Anelli for Stefano Pavesi's ...

''. He also designed the costumes for five

Béjart Ballet The Béjart Ballet Lausanne is a Swiss ballet company. It is based in the city of Lausanne and performs all over the world. The Béjart Ballet Lausanne was founded in 1987. It was established by Maurice Béjart, a well-known choreographer who ha ...

productions: ''Dionysos'' (1984), ''Leda and the Swan'' (1987), ''Malraux ou la Métamorphoses des Dieux'' (1986), ''Chaka Zulu'' (1989) and the ''Ballet du XXme Siècle''. In 1990, he designed the costumes for the

San Francisco Opera San Francisco Opera (SFO) is an American opera company founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola (1881–1953) based in San Francisco, California. History Gaetano Merola (1923–1953) Merola's road to prominence in the Bay Area began in 1906 when h ...

's production of '' Capriccio''. Versace designed

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

and

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

on their 1983 "

Say Say Say "Say Say Say" is a song written and performed by English musician Paul McCartney and American musician Michael Jackson, released in October 1983 as the lead single to McCartney's 1983 album ''Pipes of Peace''. Produced by George Martin, the son ...

" video and

's costumes for his The One Tour.

Personal life

Versace met his partner

, a model, in 1982. Their relationship lasted until Versace's murder. During this time, Versace was diagnosed with

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...

. Versace was known for adoration towards his nieces and nephews: Santo's two children, Francesca and Antonio, and Donatella's two children, Allegra and Daniel.

Death

On the morning of 15 July 1997, Versace took a walk on Ocean Drive to retrieve his morning magazines. Usually, Versace would have an assistant walk from his home to the nearby News Cafe to get his magazines, but on this occasion, he decided to go himself. Versace had returned and was climbing the steps of his Miami Beach mansion when a man dressed in a gray T-shirt, black shorts, a white hat, and carrying a backpack shot him in the head at point-blank range with a

.40 The .40 S&W is a rimless pistol cartridge developed jointly by American firearms manufacturers Smith & Wesson and Winchester in 1990. The .40 S&W was developed as a law enforcement cartridge designed to duplicate performance of the Federal B ...

caliber

Taurus PT100 The Taurus PT92 is a double action/single action, double-stack- magazine fed, short recoil-operated, semi-automatic 9mm pistol manufactured by Taurus in the Beretta factory in São Paulo, Brazil. History and creation In 1974, a large cont ...

. He was pronounced dead at

Jackson Memorial Hospital Jackson Memorial Hospital (also known as "Jackson" or abbreviated "MJMH") is a non-profit, tertiary care hospital, the primary teaching hospital of the University of Miami's School of Medicine, and the largest hospital in the United States with 1 ...

, at 9:21 a.m. He was 50 years old at the time of his death. Versace's murder was witnessed by his former UK senior stylist, Dean Aslett, who was on vacation in South Beach, Miami, and had partied with Versace a few days prior. Versace was the latest victim of Andrew Cunanan, a

spree killer A spree killer is someone who commits a criminal act that involves two or more murders or homicides in a short time, in multiple locations. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics defines a spree killing as "killings at two or more locations ...

who had earlier murdered four other men (including real estate developer Lee Miglin). Cunanan committed

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

on a houseboat eight days after Versace's murder. Cunanan was obsessed with the designer and often bragged about his close "friendship" with Versace, although this was symptomatic of Cunanan's

delusions of grandeur Grandiose delusions (GD), also known as delusions of grandeur or expansive delusions, are a subtype of delusion that occur in patients with a wide range of psychiatric diseases, including two-thirds of patients in manic state of bipolar disorde ...

: he often falsely claimed to have met celebrities. However,

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

agents firmly believe that Versace and Cunanan had previously met in San Francisco, although what their relationship entailed is still a mystery.

Maureen Orth Maureen Orth is an American journalist, author, and a Special Correspondent for ''Vanity Fair'' magazine. She is the founder of Marina Orth Foundation, which has established a model education program in Colombia emphasizing technology, English, a ...

published a 2008 article in '' Vanity Fair'' reporting that Cunanan and Versace had met briefly at a San Francisco nightclub in 1990 (according to several eyewitness claims) and that they could have interacted on further occasions because both were involved in sex-for-hire circles in Miami and San Francisco. However, Versace's family has always steadfastly denied that the two ever met. Police have said that they do not know why Versace was killed. "I don't know that we are ever going to know the answers", said Miami Beach Police Chief Richard Barreto. Versace's body was

cremated Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre i ...

and his ashes returned to the family's estate near

Cernobbio Cernobbio (Comasco: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Como, Lombardy, northern Italy. It is located about north of Milan and about northwest of Como, on the border with Switzerland and near the Lake Como. The highest peak is t ...

and buried in the family vault at Moltrasio cemetery near Lake Como. Versace's funeral liturgy, held at Milan Cathedral, was attended by over 2,000 people, including

Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy Carolyn Jeanne Bessette-Kennedy (January 7, 1966July 16, 1999) was a publicist for Calvin Klein. After her marriage to John F. Kennedy Jr., Bessette-Kennedy's relationship with her husband and her fashion sense became the subjects of media scr ...

, and

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

, who was killed in a car accident nearly a month later.

Legacy

In September 1997, the estate announced that Versace's brother, Santo, would serve as the new CEO of Gianni Versace S.p.A. while Versace's sister, Donatella, would become the new head of design. In his will, Versace left 50% of his fashion empire to his niece, Allegra Versace. She and her younger brother, Daniel, inherited Versace's rare artwork collection. Allegra inherited her stake, worth approximately $500 million, when she turned 18 in 2004.

Filmography

Versace was involved in numerous film projects.

Actor

* '' Spice World'' (1997) – Scenes were deleted because of his death before the premiere * ''Catwalk'' (a 1996-released documentary filmed in 1993) * ''VH1 Fashion and Music Awards'' (1995, film) * ''Look'' (1994, television show)

Costume designer, costume and wardrobe

* ''A Life Less Swagy'' (1997, film) – costumes provider * ''Ballet for Selena'' (1997, ballet) * ''VH1 Fashion Awards'' (1997, television) – wardrobe * ''The Pled'' (1996, film) * ''John Baylor Time'' (1996, film) – special thanks * ''Shakespeare Shorts'' (1996, TV series) * ''

Judge Dredd Judge Joseph Dredd is a fictional character created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra. He first appeared in the second issue of ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'' (1977), which is a British weekly anthology Comic book, comic. He is the ...

'' (1995, film) * '' Magic of David Copperfield XVI: Unexplained Forces'' (1995, television) – costume designer * ''

Showgirls ''Showgirls'' is a 1995 erotic drama pulp noir film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. The film stars Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon, Glenn Plummer, Robert Davi, Alan Rachins, and Gina Ravera. Produ ...

'' (1995, film) – other * ''

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar ''To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar'' is a 1995 American road comedy film directed by Beeban Kidron and starring Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, and John Leguizamo as three New York City drag queens who embark on a road trip. ...

'' (1995) – special thanks * ''

Kika KiKA (contraction of ''Der KinderKAnal von ARD und ZDF'' ARD and ZDF">ARD_(broadcaster).html" ;"title="he Children's Channel of ARD (broadcaster)">ARD and ZDF]) is a German free-to-air television channel based in Erfurt, Germany. It is man ...

'' (1993, film) – costume designer * '' Born Yesterday (1993 film), Born Yesterday'' (1993, film) – wardrobe * ''

Cin Cin A toast is a ritual during which a drink is taken as an expression of honor or goodwill. The term may be applied to the person or thing so honored, the drink taken, or the verbal expression accompanying the drink. Thus, a person could be "the toa ...

'', also known as ''A Fine Romance'' (1992, film) – costumes * '' Once Upon a Crime'' (1992, film) – wardrobe * ''

Vacanze di Natale ''Vacanze di Natale'' is a 1983 Italian comedy film directed by Carlo Vanzina. It was shown as part of a retrospective on Italian comedy at the 67th Venice International Film Festival. Plot In Christmas of 1983 two families collide in Cortina ...

'', also known as ''Christmas Vacations'' (1991, film) * ''

Crystal or Ash, Fire or Wind, as Long as It's Love ''In una notte di chiaro di luna'' (internationally released as ''Crystal or Ash, Fire or Wind, as Long as It's Love'', also known as ''On a Moonlit Night'' and ''As Long as It's Love'') is a 1989 Italian drama film directed by Lina Wertmüller. I ...

'' (1989, film) – costumes * '' 24 Nights'' (1991, concert film) – wardrobe * '' Hard to Kill'' (1990, film) – wardrobe * ''

Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann (director), Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo ...

'' (1989, TV series)

Production designer

* '' Elton John Live in Barcelona'' (1992, video documentary)

Awards and tributes

* Versace was awarded the American Fashion Oscar on 1 February 1993. * President of the Italian Republic Francesco Cossiga conferred the decoration of '' Commendatore della Repubblica Italiana'' on him on 24 January 1986. * Elton John dedicated his 1997 album '' The Big Picture'' to Versace. * In July 2007, a specially written

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

was performed in

La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

, Milan to mark the 10th anniversary of the fashion designer's death. ''Thanks Gianni, With Love'' was put together by French choreographer

Maurice Béjart Maurice Béjart (; 1 January 1927 – 22 November 2007) was a French-born dancer, choreographer and opera director who ran the Béjart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland. He developed a popular expressionistic form of modern ballet, talking vast th ...

, for whom Versace designed many stage costumes. * In 2009 the Russian Versace fan club was founded. There are 1,500 members (July 2012). The fan club is known for its lectures, excursions and actions dedicated to Gianni Versace. The staff of the club is situated in St. Petersburg, Russia. * He received the ''America Award'' in memory from the

Italy–USA Foundation Italy–USA Foundation (Italian: ''Fondazione Italia USA'') is a non-profit non-partisan organization based in Rome, Italy, established to promote friendship between Italians and Americans plus American culture in Italy. Organization The founda ...

in 2017.

In popular culture

* The second season of the American drama series ''

American Crime Story ''American Crime Story'' is an American anthology true crime television series developed by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, who are also executive producers, alongside Brad Falchuk, Nina Jacobson, Ryan Murphy, and Brad Simpson. The ser ...

'' is subtitled '' The Assassination of Gianni Versace'' and revolves around the lead-up to and aftermath of Versace's assassination. Versace is played by Venezuelan actor

Édgar Ramírez Édgar Filiberto Ramírez Arellano (, born 25 March 1977) is a Venezuelan actor. Ramírez studied communications at the Andrés Bello Catholic University. He then worked in media and considered becoming a diplomat. When Guillermo Arriaga pra ...

. * In an episode of the Irish sitcom ''

Father Ted ''Father Ted'' is a sitcom created by Irish writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews (writer), Arthur Mathews and produced by British production company Hat Trick Productions for Channel 4. It aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until ...

'', one of the main characters, Dougal, refers to Versace's death by saying, "God, Ted, do you remember that fella who was so good at fashion they had to shoot him?" *

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

makes references to Versace's murder and his homosexuality in the song "Criminal" (the closing song on his 2000 album ''

The Marshall Mathers LP ''The Marshall Mathers LP'' is the third studio album by American rapper Eminem, released on May 23, 2000, by Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album was produced mostly by Dr. Dre and Eminem, along with The 45 King, the Bass Br ...

'') through the lyrics "Hey, it's me, Versace! Whoops, somebody shot me! And I was just checkin' the mail. Get it? Checkin' the male?"

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Versace, Gianni 1946 births 1997 deaths Italian company founders Fashion designers from Milan Italian fashion designers People from Reggio Calabria 1997 murders in the United States July 1997 crimes Deaths by firearm in Florida Italian people murdered abroad Italian gay actors LGBT fashion designers LGBT people from Italy Male murder victims Menswear designers Murder–suicides in Florida People murdered in Florida People of Calabrian descent Versace Italian murder victims Victims of serial killers LGBT history in Italy