COSTUME DRAMA
In a new TV series, clothes help tell the story of Gianni Versace’s tragic murder — and his incredible effect on fashion
WHEN the cast and crew of “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” attempted to re-create the life and fashion sensibility of the murdered Italian designer, immersing themselves in his flamboyant aesthetic was key to telling the story well.
So, they set out to showcase his dramatic world with both setting and costume: Producer Ryan Murphy obtained permission to film the series, which debuts Wednesday on FX, inside Versace’s former home, Casa Casuarina in Miami, where the rooms are decorated with bold tile, frescoes and seashells. And actor Edgar Ramírez, who plays the doomed designer, embraced Versace’s creative vantage point, which was heavily influenced by classical motifs.
“He had a poster of the Roman Empire in his shop in Calabria [,Italy],” Ramírez said at a recent panel discussion of the series. “When we think about the Roman Empire, we tend to think about washed-out statues . . . But the reality is that the Roman Empire was very colorful. The blues were very intense and the gold was intense.”
Re-creating Versace’s outland- ish designs for the series became a painstaking project for Emmywinning costume designer Lou Eyrich. She not only tracked down genuine vintage pieces, but also created looks for the show without any cooperation from Gianni’s sister (and current artistic director of the brand), Donatella Versace, or the Versace company itself — which has denounced the entire production as a “work of fiction.”
“Gianni Versace was fearless and bold in his use of color. He understood the female physique and how to make a woman feel and look sexy,” says Eyrich, who has also