Italian Designer Families – Between Tradition and Tragedy

Love, passion, intrigue, jealousy, anger – Italians know how to turn their lives into a dramatic story. The stories of the most famous Italian fashion families are full of various events. Traditions, crimes and scandals are among the driving forces that created businesses for billions.

Versace – The genius is killed, the show goes on

On July 15, 1997, Gianni Versace decided to collect his morning paper alone from a nearby café. At 9:21 a.m., he was shot in the forehead in front of the door of his mansion in Miami Beach. The shot was fired by the seral killer and maniac Andrew Cunanan. If he had sent his assistant to collect the newspaper, as he usually did, Versace would have probably still created his fashion masterpieces with vigor. However, this task fell on the fragile shoulders of his sister Donatella, who after Gianni’s death took his place as a creative director of Versace. Their brother Santo became CEO. Despite the tragedy, the Versace family managed to run the business more than well – they designed furniture lines, collaborated on a series of luxury dining sets and accessories with a legend like Rosenthal. In 2018, Michael Kors Holding Group, now known as Capri Holdings, acquired Versace fashion house for more than $ 2 billion.

The history of the legendary brand began in Calabria in 1946 – the year in which Gianni was born. His mother Francesca was a resourceful dress-maker who invested her small savings in her own workshop. Gianni grew up in this workshop. The future designer cut his first dress only at the age of 10. After graduating from high school, he moved to Milan, where he worked for several designers, one of whom was Mario Valentino. In 1978, Versace founded his own fashion company and his sister Donatella came to him to help him, becoming his muse. The fashion shows of Gianni Versace are real feasts of beauty. Not only that supermodels such as Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista catwalk for him, but the designer is a pioneer in ‘filling’ the front row with celebrities. Regular guests at his fashion shows, who are also his personal friends, are Elton John and Madonna. The clothes created by the talented Italian are daring, sexy and sophistically at the same time. The famous prints and Medusa mascot have become the emblem of Versace. The business expanded and the brand began selling virtually everything from bedsheets to cutlery. His chic villa in Miami is an absolute triumph of his personal style and at the same time a fantastically arranged showroom for the best representatives of the collections Verscace Home. The company reached its peak in the mid-90s ... until the black date of July 15, 1997 for the family. Ironically, Gianni has just successfully undergone treatment for ear cancer. That is why he has dutifully prepared his will – 50 % for his beloved niece Allegra, 20 % for Donatella and 30 % for Santo.

The news of his sudden death found Donatella and her family in Rome, where she was preparing a fashion show. She fell into a stupor. Her children Allegra and Daniel watched children’s movies in the hotel room. Suddenly, the animation stopped and their uncle appeared on the screen, lying in a pool of blood. The tragic death of Gianni Versace inevitably marked the life of the whole family. For 18 years, Donatella has been struggling with a cocaine addiction. Her daughter Allegra, whom Gianni literally idolized, felt guilty for his death and went through the nighmare of anorexia, from which she successfully recovered and took her place in the company’s Board of Directors when she turned 24 years old.

Gianni’s death is not the first tragic event in the Versace family. The firstborn daughter Tina died at the age of 12. The girl went to a carnival with her parents, where she cut herself and became infected with tetanus. She died after 24 hours. Donatella was born 3 years later. She felt like her successor and her mother never recovered fully from the heavy loss.

While for Donatella fashion was a real passion, for her older brother Santo this was far from the case. He was a practical businessman and philanthropist, attracted to the fashion industry thanks to Gianni’s talent. It was this talent that brought together the supermodels Versace created 20 years after his death. In September 2017, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen, Cindy Crawford and Carla Bruni catwalked in golden dresses – sexy, elegant and daring. George Michael's song Freedom sounds. Time stops. Everyone is in euphoria.

Missoni - A family story

The Italian fashion house Missoni is the fruit of love at first glance. In 1948, during the London Olympic Games, 16-year-old Rosita met 27-year-old Ottavio ‘Tai’ Missoni. Everyone admired the tall and handsome Italian athlete, and Rosita considered the number of his outfit - 331 a good omen. The sum of the three digits equals 7, which is Rosita’s lucky number. Luck really did not betray her. The couple soon married and created their first knitwear line of tracksuits. On a visit to a shawl factory, the duo discovered the versatility of the Raschel knitting machine. This is how the brand’s signature multi-colored zig-zag pattern ‘was born’.

Missoni’s debut on the fashion scene in 1967 in Florence was marked by a scandal, which, however, turned out to be in their favor. The dresses in the collection were ethereal and transparent and Rosita decided the models to catwalk without bras. ‘The white bras underneath just weren’t suitable’, the designer said later. The following year, Yves Saint Laurent also presented a collection of transparent clothes. Despite the great success of the brand, the family members had a simple life, away from vanity and scandals. One day the children were playing in the knitwear factory; the next day they were sitting in the front row of a glamorous fashion show. The brand’s philosophy coincides with that of the family: A refreshing simplicity that refuses to sacrifice the joy of life. However, Missoni’s story was not spared sudden misfortune. In early 2013, the family’s eldest son and CEO of the company Vittorio disappeared in a plane crash in Venezuela. The family patriarch Tai died just four months after that tragidy. Seeking independence, Angela, the daughter of Tai and Rosita, created her own collection. Her mother was impressed and took her back at Missoni as a creative director. Following the traditions, she updated the brand and expanded its scope thanks to fresh collaborations with brands such as Converse and Target. Rosita turned to interior design and created Missoni Home. The collections are a mix of art, nature and luxury materials, perfectly fit into modern interiors, and their iconic motifs can be recognized unmistakably.

The sense of fashion was passed on to the next generation. Angela’s two daughters, Margherita and Theresa, were actively involved in the family business. At the age of 18, Margarita became a brand ambassador, she and her sister had their own fashion lines. Missoni’s success is due to the adherence by all involved to the Italian family traditions. For example, the place of the family dinners is determined by the fact in whose home the largest table is. This is currently Angela’s house in Milan.

Gucci - fashion’s darkest tale

Passion, anger and blood are the key words in the biography of the Gucci family. 24-year old Maurizio Gucci met Patrizia Reggiani at a party and immediately fell in love with her. They married in 1972, although her father did not approve of the union – Patrizia’s family was wealthy, but not part of the high society of Milan. Rich and beautiful, Maurizio and Patrizia immediately became Italy’s favorite secular couple.

However, the fairy tale had no happy ending. At 8:30 a.m. on March 27, 1995, after a two-year investigation, his ex-wife Patrizia was accused of being a guarantor of the murder. The two have been divorced for five years. Maurizio lived with the interior designer Paola Franchi, who advised him to hire security guards because of the public threats his ex-wife was making. Maurizio claimed that Patrizia would not harm him because of their two daughters – Alessandra and Allegra. But Patrizia was furious after the divorce – she was not happy with the alimony she received – half a million British pounds a year – and she could not accept that another woman would take the power and status she had won. Besides, she never managed to forgive Maurizio for losing the family business.

Due to a series of wrong decisions, he caused serious losses to the company. Thus, 18 months before his death, he had to sell his share in Gucci for $ 120 million. Patrizia was sentenced to 26 years in prison. Of them, she spent 16 years in prison. After she was released in 2014, she had to find a job... and to wear Zara dresses because she couldn’t afford others. A team from an Italian yellow show surprisingly appeared at her workplace – the jewelry company Bozart, which hired the ‘Black Widow’ as a consulting designer. The reporter asked her why she hired a sniper and did not kill her ex-husband with her own hands. ‘My eyesight is not so good and I didn’t want to miss it’, Patrizia replied relentlessly. She behaved as if she did not regret what she did, and even insisted that she returned to Gucci. ‘The company needs me. I am much more Gucci than everyone else’, she said arrogantly. However, her life after the imprisonment was far from the glamor of her days as Mrs. Gucci. By order of the court, she lives with her 89-year-old mother. Her daughters, who were 14 and 18 when she was arrested, are married and live in Switzerland. They deny helping her financially and do not allow her to meet her two grandchildren. ‘If I saw Maurizio today, I would tell him that I love him, that he is the person who meant the most to me’, Patrizia says without making illusions that the feeling is mutual.

The family business has undergone many transformations, but the GG logo has always meant huge sales. Being part of the Kering empire of the French millionaire, collector and philanthropist Francois Pinault, the band has prospered. In 2017, Gucci’s creative director, Alessandro Michele, an emblem of the Surrealist fashion design, supported the creation of Gucci’s first collection of household items. The eccentric motifs and the clash of colors were just some of his specialties.

Fendi - The five sisters and the golden bag

In 1918, inspired by the traditional saddle-making techniques, enterprising Adele Casagrande opened her own leather and fur goods workshop at the corner of Piazza Venezia in Rome. In 1925, she married Edoardo Fendi. The couple opened a small boutique next to the workshop and moved into the rooms on the second floor. Between 1931 and 1940, the Fendi family had five daughters – Paola, Anna, Franca, Carla and Alda. ‘The accessories were our first toys’, Carla says. Growing up in the boutique and workshop, it is not surprising that all of them have their role in the family business later on.

In 1964, the sisters opened an office and placed a huge portrait of their mother at the entrance. The following year they began working with Karl Lagerfeld, with whom they turned Fendi into today’s luxury fashion brand. At that time, the legendary logo was created – double F in black and brown. In 1977, Fendi presented a ready-to-wear line of dresses that harmonized with bags and leather coats. In 1978, they added shoes. In the 1980s, the real expansion of Fendi began – the sisters opened stores around the world and the Fendi logo appeared on everything – from sweaters to home interior.

The brand gained a cult status in 1997 when it presented a series of bags, including the legendary Baguette bag. It was designed by Anna’s daughter – Silvia. Inspired by French bread, the bag has immediately become a hit among the stars – Madonna, Julia Roberts, Naomi Campbell, Gwyneth Paltrow – everyone wears it! Like her mother, Silvia has been part of the family business since she was very young. At the age of 6, she already participated in Gucci fashion shows and advertising campaigns. The child traveled by private plane from Rome to Milan specifically for a hairdresser. At the age of 15, Silvia already became part of the social scene in Rome. ‘She is a trendy and sexy Roman girl’, Karl Lagerfeld said about her. After college, Silvia started organizing the so-called trunk shows, which turned her into the whirlwind of international travel and social events. Dressed in a Fendi cocktail dress, she can often be noticed on the dance floor of Studio 54.

Of all 11 children and 30 grandchildren of the five Fendi sisters, Silvia is the only one who is part of Fendi to this day. In 1999, the sisters sold the brand to LVMH and Prada. ‘The tension began to rise. The sisters did not talk to each other. Their husbands were very happy after the sale’, Lagerfeld said about the deal.

Whatever happens, the Fendi bag continues to be worn by the most sophisticated women in the world, and Fendi Casa remains the absolute embodiment of la dolce vita.