Versace

Book excerpt: A long-awaited and highly intimate visual history of Versace, the glamorous and globally renowned Italian fashion house. Versace—a name that epitomizes Italian opulence, bold sexiness, and a flair for the extravagant—holds its place firmly in the fashion world as a legendary and iconic luxury brand. Taking over the creative artistic direction of the family-run fashion house in 1997, the enigmatic and alluring Donatella Versace has since catapulted the brand into popular culture, cementing Versace as a go-to label for A-list celebrities. This richly illustrated tome chronicles Donatella’s interpretation of Versace in the twenty-first century and her remarkable work as the curator and face of Versace. Versace includes exclusive contemporary and archival imagery from runway and backstage shots to intimate scenes at the Versace atelier, with accompanying original essays penned by fashion’s most authoritative voices. Featuring arresting photography by Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, and Steven Meisel, among many others; images of Versace fashions modeled by the original "supers," such as Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, and Linda Evangelista; and red-carpet coverage of Hollywood’s elite wearing dazzling Versace couture, this glittering volume delivers the magnetic vibrancy, supreme luxury, and glamour quotient that define Versace.