Gianni Versace was one of the greatest innovators in fashion of all time: a superstar designer and a visionary. He was adventurous and full of curiosity about the world around him, with an incredible ability to capture the moment and constantly reinvent himself. He was an artist passionate about his work, unafraid to take risks or break rules in order to adorn the runway with beauty and imagination. He was a man who made his dreams come true.

Born on December 2, 1946, he grew up in Reggio Calabria in Southern Italy, a region surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. According to him, he "came from a family in the fashion business." His father, Antonio, was an entrepreneur; his mother, Franca, was a successful seamstress, a dynamic woman whom he described as "ahead of her time" and to whom he was devoted. As Gianni grew up, his mother's atelier was the place where he had fun, surrounded by 45 seamstresses, and it was there that he first learned how to make clothes.