I just finished reading Deborah Ball’s House of Versace. I prefer fiction when I am on holidays, so I wouldn’t say all of you should run out and buy this book for your summer vacation, but if you are at all interested in the history of the brand, it is definitely worth a read.
The book tells the story of the Versace siblings’ (Gianni, Donatella, Santo, and the others) upbringing and story of the Versace brand up to the present day. You can’t help but love Gianni, respect Santo, and despise Donatella, although I know the author has a great impact on how we feel towards them, since she definitely describes Donatella as a megalomaniac who nearly ruined the Versace brand after Gianni’s death. (By the way, Santo is the brother who controlled Versace’s finances.)
Alice Drake’s The Beautiful Fall had a similar tone. Her book, which traces the history of Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent, clearly favoured the latter. I am not surprised that Karl Lagerfeld kicked up a legal fuss and managed to get the book off the shelves temporarily, because she definitely portrays Karl as the lesser designer. Personally, I think Karl Lagerfeld is more of a legend than Yves Saint Laurent. They both played an enourmous role in forming the way women dress today, but Karl has had the longevity that Yves did not, which has meant his genius has spanned several decades.
Anyway, back to Versace. The company has been on the brink of bankruptcy for the past few years, and it seems pure luck that they have managed to stay afloat, no thanks to Donatella’s refusal to hand over the reigns to a qualified creative director. She is no Gianna Versace, and will never come close. Also, I feel sorry for Allegra Versace, Donatella’s daughter, who inherited Gianni’s share of the company upon his death. In fact, Gianni was quite idiotic to do that, who gives leaves their “favourite niece” 50% of a multi million dollar company, meanwhile leaving the rest of his nieces and nephews almost nothing? No wonder she suffers from anorexia, that’s not fair to any child.
So if you like a bit of fashion history and hearing about other families’ drug habits, eating disorders, insane spending habits, and murder, this is the book for you. I highly recommend The Beautiful Fall, which is also wonderful read about two of the fashion geniuses of the 20th century.
