July 15, 1997: Fashion designer Gianni Versace shot dead outside his Miami mansion - BT
 
July 15, 1997: Fashion designer Gianni Versace shot dead outside his Miami mansion
Princess Diana and Georgio Armani led the tributes to renowned Italian couturier Gianni Versace, killed by a mystery gunman on the doorstep of his Florida home.
 
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Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace was shot dead on the steps of his mansion in Miami, Florida on this day in 1997. He was 50 years old.
The couturier and business mogul was returning from a stroll to pick up newspapers and breakfast on Ocean Drive, and had just unlocked the gates of his home when a man in his mid-twenties pulled a gun from his backpack and shot him twice in the back of the head.
Versace, who had designed clothes for some of the world’s most famous women including Princess Diana, had only recently presented his latest collection in Paris. His stores around the world closed as a mark of respect.
By that evening, a huge manhunt had been instigated, after a weapon and clothing found in an abandoned pick-up truck was traced to a man named Andrew Cunanan – already on the FBI’s ‘most wanted’ list in connection with four other murders.
Eight days later, Cunanan was traced by detectives to a houseboat moored less than three miles from Versace’s murder. After a stand-off lasting five hours, a SWAT team stormed the boat only to find that the 27-year-old had already committed suicide.
Cunanan was not known to Versace; though various theories have been suggested, no motive for his killing of the designer has ever been proved.
Princess Diana (pictured above, at his Milan memorial service) provided one of many tributes to Versace in the wake of his murder, saying she was "devastated at the loss of a great and talented man".
Fellow designer Georgio Armani added: "My reaction is one of revolt against such an unnatural and violent death."
Do you remember the death of Gianni Versace? What do you make of his fashion creations? Let us know in the Comments section below.
Gianni Versace – Did you know?
Born December 2, 1946 in Reggio di Calabria, Italy, Gianni Versace became interested in design after working for his dressmaker mother. He launched his first ready-to-wear clothing line in Milan in 1978.
He became known for flamboyant and glamorous styles, using offbeat materials such as polyvinyl and aluminium mesh in his dresses. He launched his first couture collection in 1989.
One of his most famous creations was a black silk and Lycra dress held together by gold safety pins, which was worn by Elizabeth Hurley when she accompanied Hugh Grant to the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral in 1994. The dress helped make Hurley (below) a star.
Versace’s seasonal shows were said to be like rock concerts, featuring the first ‘supermodels’ and attracting celebrities such as his friends Madonna and Elton John; it is said his influence helped the fashion industry become the international powerhouse it is today.
A lover of the arts, Versace designed for opera and ballet companies, as well as for numerous film productions.
After his death, Versace’s brother Santo and colleague Jorge Saud took over as head of his fashion house, while younger sister Donatella (below, with Santo) became head of design. He left 50% of the business to his niece Allegra, Donatella’s daughter.
Cunanan, a male prostitute, is believed to have murdered his friend Jeffrey Trail then three other men in three weeks during April and May 1997. No motive has been uncovered for his crimes.
In 2010 a book by Giuseppe Di Bella, a former member of the Calabrian Mafia known as the N'drangheta, alleged that Versace was killed over debts he had with the crime syndicate. The designer had denied rumours of his involvement with organised crime before his death.