Gianni Versace was born in Reggio Calabria, Italy, on December 2, 1946. Versace had been introduced to fashion from a young age designing his first dress at the age of nine. Versace started doing an apprenticeship at his mother's dressmaking business, learning tailoring techniques and pattern cutting skills. Versace began working as a freelance designer at the age of 25, and was creating ready-to-wear collections for top fashion houses of the time, including Genny, Complice and Callaghan. In 1978, with the help of his brother, Santo, he founded the Gianni Versace Company. Later that year, his first Gianni Versace collection for women was shown in Milan. .
The most important outfit shown was a loose silk blouse with wide pleats and a crystal collar, worn with a leather skirt. Versace's experimentation with contrasting fabrics and textures allowed him to design the most confident clothing of his time. The contrast combination of silk and leather,.
His characteristic cuts, vibrant prints and unusual materials skilfully combined art and contemporary culture, and he quickly earned international praise.
Versace's collections had a frequent theme of leather "It is the strength of leather, which remains one of the materials I love". Versace's raunchy; designs revealing the female body gained him a reputation for having been inspired by the dress sense of prostitutes. Versace didn't deny this, he told of how his mother walked him past their local Italian Brothel on his way to school everyday with her hands covering his eyes. This experience was what made Versace love leather and its association with sexual and raw power.
Another traditional and cultural material which Versace liked to use was Silk as it complemented the leather skirts and pants. He printed the silk in South Beach motifs, Pop art graphics and bright contemporary colours. Versace knew this material with all the wisdom like that of Italian Renaissance merchants.