He was the founder of Versace, an international luxury-fashion house that produces accessories, fragrances, make-up, home furnishings and clothes.

As a friend of Eric Clapton, Princess Diana, Whitney Houston, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Madonna, Elton John, Tupac Shakur, Joan Collins and many other celebrities, he was one of the first designers to link fashion to the music world.

On 15 July 1997, he was murdered outside his Miami Beach mansion, Casa Casuarina, by serial killer Andrew Cunanan.

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

[13] 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.

[20] Among Versace's most famous innovations was his 1982 invention of a type of super-light chainmail called 'Oroton', which became a signature material in his outfits.

[16] Versace’s work was deeply influenced by art, from Gustav Klimt, Robert Delaunay, and Alexander Calder to Andy Warhol and Jim Dine.

[22][23] In 1982, Versace expanded the business into jewelry and housewares, designing luxury furnishings, china and textiles for the home.

[24] In 1984 and '85, he contributed a specially appointed Gianni Versace Edition to the Mark VII line of American luxury automaker Lincoln.

[27] 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.

[28] Versace designed Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney on their 1983 "Say Say Say" video and Elton John's costumes for his The One Tour.

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 caliber Taurus PT100.

[33] Versace was the last victim of Andrew Cunanan, a serial killer[34] who had earlier murdered four other men (including real estate developer Lee Miglin).

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

Versace's funeral liturgy, held at Milan Cathedral, was attended by over 2,000 people, including Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Naomi Campbell, Elton John, and Diana, Princess of Wales, who was killed in a car accident a little over a month later.