The Assassination of Gianni Versace in Summer 2018 issue of The Costume Designer | 7 August 2018
Tag: lou eyrich
From ‘The Crown’ to ‘Black-ish’: Costume Designers Dissect How They Curate the Perfect Looks
Lou Eyrich
‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ (FX)Eyrich has been collaborating with Ryan Murphy for decades, since his early Glee days — from Jane Lynch’s iconic tracksuit look on that show to Lily Rabe’s demonic nun getup on American Horror Story: Asylum. And now, Eyrich has her eighth Emmy nomination (she’s won two twice) for her work re-creating the designs of a fashion empire on The Assassination of Gianni Versace, which chronicles the weeks leading to the 1997 murder of the iconic designer.
“We scoured the internet for weeks and weeks,” Eyrich says of her early research. Despite a tight budget, her crew built the looks using a combination of vintage Versace and custom-made pieces. However, her favorite look from the nominated episode, “The Man Who Would Be Vogue,” is not based on an outfit that Versace wore or designed at all.
“Ryan Murphy, who is very hands-on with costumes, said that he would love it if we could make some kind of a pink and gold robe,” she says of the wrap that Versace (Edgar Ramirez) dons at the beginning of the episode. “So, a tailor custom made it. When we came to shoot the scene at the casa in Miami, we had him in the black T-shirt and white shorts that he eventually gets [killed] in, and Ryan called me and said, ‘Do you have that pink robe?’ ”
Perhaps the robe was meant to add some color to an otherwise bleak day. Or maybe Murphy just likes pink.
“I do not know why pink,” Eyrich admits. “That’s just something that Ryan came up with, and I always follow his instincts. They’re always spot-on.”
From ‘The Crown’ to ‘Black-ish’: Costume Designers Dissect How They Curate the Perfect Looks
Lou Eyrich “MEET THE HOLLYWOOD COSTUME DESIGNERS”
WANT TO KNOW ALL THE FACTS ABOUT THE COSTUMES IN THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE?
In this new episode of Meet the Hollywood Costume Designers Lou Eyrich had a chat with us about how she created the ‘90s-era Miami “heat and sizzle” for the tv show The Assassination of Gianni Versace.
Spoiler: it wasn’t easy at all!
Bonus: Lou takes you to one of the most beautiful costume houses in Los Angeles. | 23 February 2018
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace’: How Miami Became the Striking Visual Epicenter
In “American Crime Story’s” second season, creator Ryan Murphy explored the social significance of the murder of legendary fashion designer Gianni Versace (Édgar Ramírez) by spree-killer Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss) outside his Miami mansion in 1997. In particular, Murphy contrasts the high and low worlds of Versace and Cunanan in Miami, the difficulty of coming out of the closet in the ’90s, and the culture’s underlying homophobia.
Visually, it was a tour-de-force for production designer Judy Becker (“Feud: Bette and Joan”) and costume designer Lou Eyrich (a three-time Emmy winner for “American Horror Story”). And Miami’s South Beach became the visual epicenter. “It’s about the clash between the high Versace world and the low Cunanan world,” Becker said. “But then within Cunanan’s world there were the contrasts of being taken care of by sugar daddies and being on his own.”
The clothes, too, reflected the difference between Versace, who transformed fashion into a glam party world, and Cunanan, who aspired to be a part of that fantasy. “Versace liked to be stylish but comfortable, and Andrew was a chameleon: He dressed the part to fit into the older gentleman’s world,” said Eyrich.
Miami: Black and Gold Meets Pink
The Versace mansion (Casa Casuarina) has since become a boutique hotel, but, fortunately, the production was allowed access. The opening of the first episode (“The Man Who Would Be Vogue”) was completely shot in the Versace mansion, including the interior, the pool area, and the first courtyard. The interior design was intricate and extravagant, with two rooms made out of seashells. Since much of the original furniture was sold, the art department commissioned Italian upholsterers to recreate the original, Versace-designed, furniture fabric, accentuating black and gold.
“His ambition and authenticity were important to Ryan,” Becker said. “Versace was rich and successful so the sets showed the success, taste, and his personality. He was very flamboyant, but we didn’t go crazy with the palette. We used a lot of tone on tone, whereas Andrew’s sugar daddies lived in monochromatic homes, and when he was alone, Andrew lived in a world of beige.”
In the second episode (“Manhunt”), Becker built two important sets in LA for the Miami locations: the interior of the grungy Normandy Plaza Hotel, where Andrew stayed, and a more upscale hotel, where he worked as a prostitute. Both emphasized different shades of pink, at Ryan’s request. “It’s a color you see in Miami,” she said. “It’s indicative of the sunsets, and it represents the pink triangle that gay men had to wear in concentration camps.
“The Normandy had cracking on the walls and it represented a place where Andrew had no power and was alone and poor. Ryan kept telling me to add more cracks. It really showed the decay. The other hotel had pink neon and the Memphis look [with bold colors], and was a place where Andrew held power.”
High and Low Fashion Statements
Without the cooperation of the Versace fashion house, costume designers Eyrich and Allison Leach were left to their own creative devices, so they turned to online resellers to purchase authentic Versace pieces while making garments for the principal actors. Two Versace standouts included the pink robe that he wore in the beginning, and the iconic black leather bondage dress worn by his sister, Donatella (Penélope Cruz ).
In fact, Eyrich’s favorite outfit for Versace was a leather shirt and pants that she recreated from one of his research books. “It really showed the beauty of his work,” she said. But the bondage dress was a difficult construction challenge. “Trying to figure out how he draped that had all of us in the department full of awe and respect for Versace and his meticulous hand,” she added.
However, when it came to Cunanan, there was obviously a lot more artistic license in dressing the 27-year-old hustler, who relied on relationships with wealthy older men to achieve the appearance of success and affluence. Eyrich and Leach mainly used descriptions from Maureen Orth’s book, “Vulgar Favors,” from which the FX series was adapted.
But when Cunanan fled to Miami, desperate and embittered, he planned the murder of Versace with few resources. “He has very little clothes left after his killing spree and he’s using drugs and losing weight,” said Eyrich. “We back track and tell his story, dressing him very sporty and conservative or preppy to fit in.”
“It was more about not letting him stand out,” added Eyrich. “Dressing him up in a linen sport coat with the perfect jeans and a loafer for when he’s at the height of the high life, to finding a place when he’s destitute and his clothes are all too big on him.”
‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace’: How Miami Became the Striking Visual Epicenter
Inside Look: Versace’s Fashion: They weren’t just clothes. They were an expression. The cast and crew explain how the wardrobe helps create a personality. | 2 March 2018
The woman recreating the iconic Versace looks for American Crime Story
It feels like we’ve been waiting a lifetime for this moment (or, at least since the show was announced at the beginning of last year), but tonight, The Assassination of Gianni Versace finally hits UK screens. The brainchild of Ryan Murphy, the man behind 2016’s The People vs. OJ Simpson, the series chronicles the lead up to – and aftermath of – the iconic Italian designer’s brutal murder at the hands of serial killer Andrew Cunanan on July 15, 1997.
Versace’s ostentatious collections were definitive of the late 80s and early 90s, epitomising the excessive glamour of the era, as he and sister Donatella jetted back and forth between lavish houses in Florida, New York and Italy. The moment he was gunned down, on the steps leading up to his Miami mansion, was a dark day for fashion: marking the end of an era of such levels of opulence within the industry, maximalism gave way to minimalism and the overstated became decidedly less so.
Central to the show, then, were the costumes worn by the cast. Step in American Horror Story and Glee costume designer Lou Eyright, who was tasked with outfitting Donatella (Penelope Cruz), Gianni (Édgar Ramírez), Gianni’s boyfriend Antonio D’Amico (Ricky Martin), Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss), et al: a daunting task, given the designer’s formidable legacy. “It was hugely intimidating starting work on the show,” Eyright tells us over the phone from LA. “You know, I was such a fan of Gianni’s work and everything Donatella has done over the course of the last two decades, so of course there was some apprehension there. But it was also really exciting. He had such a distinct aesthetic and we had to kind of tread the line between being authentic to Versace and making it our own.”
Eyright needn’t have worried. The show is a flamboyant visual feast for the eyes, as Donatella struts around the set in (fabulous and hugely-covetable) vintage Versace pieces, Gianni sweeps down the halls of his Miami home in luxurious Baroque-printed silk shorts and gowns, and Antonio lounges on the (Medusa-mosaiced) pool in some v barely-there logo pants. Ahead of The Assassination of Gianni Versace’s launch, we caught up with the costume designer to talk about the search for the perfect Versace pieces, the challenges she faced during production, and her favourite looks from the show.
How did you prepare in the time leading up to the show’s production?
Lou Eyright: Well, I started by educating myself on the era and the style of the time beforehand, and I particularly studied Versace’s work in the 80s and 90s, you know the Baroque collection, and the pop art one too. For weeks and weeks I pored over every book I could get my hands on, not just from a fashion point of view, but from art and culture and everything that went with it; Versace’s collection of artworks, his houses, everything. Allison (Leach, co-costume designer) and I spent time at the Fashion Institute of Design in LA as well: they have a huge archive of Versace pieces that we studied prior to shooting. And, of course, the series is also about Andrew Cunanan’s life, so we needed to understand the era thoroughly to be able to dress him properly. There was a lot of trips to the library and late nights scouring the internet involved (laughs).
How was it working between two completely opposing styles simultaneously: the high-octane, OTT glamour of the Versaces and the more grungy, downbeat look Cunanan has?
Lou Eyright: Well, you know, that’s what we do! We set out to tell a story through clothing and whether we have one aesthetic to cover, or 10, or 20, it’s part and parcel on the job. But working on American Crime Story was particularly daunting as we didn’t have as much time as I’d have liked to research. Pressure is good though, you have to live up to the challenge. So it was fun for us to cover both ends of the scale, from Gianni and Donatella and Antonio’s fabulous looks, right through to Andrew’s more downtrodden, understated costumes.
Going back to Versace, were there specific pieces you set out to find when you were creating Donatella and Gianni’s costumes?
Lou Eyright: So some of the garments were scripted very specifically: there’s a point where Gianni was designing all of these Western-inspired pieces – the leather jeans, the leather shirts with the gold collar tips, and the heavy gold Medusa detailing – they were all part of the script, so really we had to find those. We searched the web for weeks to find some of the pieces. Some we managed to get on eBay, and we found a number of styles through private collectors that we got in touch with, including a few in LA, which was quite lucky. We managed to source a few original pieces and then have them replicated, which was great. It was important to Ryan for it to be authentic, and both Penelope and Edgar were both thrilled to be wearing pieces that were actually designed by their real-life counterparts.
The Versace family denounced the show early on in production. Were you a little disappointed that they’d declined to be involved with the show?
Lou Eyright: Of course, I was a little disappointed they’d distanced themselves from it, but I never imagined they’d really be involved to be honest. It’s a story that must still carry a lot of hurt for them, and it was important for everyone involved that it would be handled sensitively. I wanted to make sure I represented the house of Versace as well as I possibly could, though, whether they were involved or not. If they did see it, I wanted them to be happy with the way it looked at least.
Penelope Cruz has been lauded for her performance and capturing the essence of Donatella. Which look epitomises Donatella for you?
Lou Eyright: My favourite was one that didn’t actually make it into the show! It was an authentic Versace shirt with this really bold baroque print from around 1994 and it was cut in the editing suite. But to be honest, I don’t know if I do have a favourite for her, actually. I think what was most important was that Penelope was able to pull off Donatella’s silhouette and stance. And so it was more about finding the right corsets and shapewear to help her transform into Donatella. We went to Agent Provocateur, we went to trashy lingerie stores, we had some made for her. But key to Penelope’s portrayal was the silhouette, definitely.
Did Penelope have a lot of input when it came to costumes? She’s friends with Donatella in real life, so I imagine she must have felt a lot of responsibility on her shoulders…
Lou Eyright: She did have a lot of input, yeah, and she definitely felt a lot of responsibility to portray Donatella in the best possible light. So we worked closely with her to ensure the garments had the highest level of respect and precision that they could have. Very early on, Allison flew out to Madrid to fit Penelope for the first time, and she put on the clothes and just slipped into character, like, she was Donatella! She was very instrumental in making sure everything was just right, which really helped us out.
Did Penelope wear anything other than Versace?
Lou Eyright: For the most part, she wore Versace, like Donatella herself did. But there were a few pieces in there that weren’t: a couple of Alaïa dresses, a Dolce & Gabbana corset, and I think one of the pairs of studded leather pants was vintage. Mainly we tried to stick to Versace, though.
Is there anything you would have done differently? Any pieces that you’d have loved to get your hands on?
Lou Eyright: I wish I’d had a little more prep time to really thoroughly study Gianni and Donatella, and really been able to get to grips with their relationship and the essence of their being. But that’s television, you know, you only get a few weeks to put it all together. I would have loved to have been able to go into all the Haute Couture work, and maybe visit the atelier if I’d been allowed to. But we just didn’t have the time or the resources to do that.
What did you think when you saw the show for the first time?
Lou Eyright: Oh, of course, I picked everything apart (laughs). But overall, on the whole, I think it looks beautiful. There’s always something you wish you’d done differently, or something you think you missed. That said, I’m very proud of the team that worked to create the show, and helped Ryan (Murphy) realise his vision. It’s a beautiful show and I’m so happy we all pulled it off.
The woman recreating the iconic Versace looks for American Crime Story
American Crime Story: Versace: How Penelope Cruz Became Donatella
One of the biggest joys of watching a Ryan Murphy series—at least, the ones based on real life—is seeing exactly how it physically transforms stars into the characters they play. On The People vs. O.J. Simpson, impeccably dowdy wigs morphed Sarah Paulson into Marcia Clark. On Feud, perfectly defined brows and a careful swipe of eyeliner turned Jessica Lange into a dead ringer for Joan Crawford. And on The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Penelope Cruz has pulled off one of the most drastic transformations yet, taking on the role of her friend Donatella Versace.
How much hair and make-up did that take—and what, exactly, is going on with her plump upper lip? We spoke with the show’s costume designers and hair and make-up team to find out.
THE CLOTHES
The costume team for Versace consistently worked at breakneck speed due to production constraints, yet their work perfectly captures the Versace era—both the world of high fashion and the grungier elements of the 90s, through the parallel story of Versace murderer Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss). This was no small feat, considering the team had no help from the Versace family.
When it came to capturing Donatella’s iconic look, costume designers Lou Eyrichand Allison Leach started with the basics—specifically, that tiny waist.
“I feel that a big part of the silhouette for Donatella was the corset, to get that really structured waist,” Eyrich said. “That tiny-waist look was a big part of it, and then the bodycon… And Penelope has a rocking figure as well, so as far as getting that same silhouette, that was easy. And then once Ana and Massimo added the wig and the makeup, Penelope would just magically transform.”
One of the signature Versace looks the two were most excited—and nervous—to recreate was that notorious bondage dress, which Donatella famously wore to the Met Gala in 1996. Leach said recreating that memorable look was both “very exciting and harrowing.”
“It is such an iconic dress, and it it was scripted that it definitely needed to be that dress to tell the story of her coming into her of her own stardom,” Leach continued, describing a scene the series depicts in episode 7. “Just from a construction standpoint and materials, it was such beautiful leather dress that had to fit perfectly—and all these different angles that the neck and the you know skirt had to swath just, just right.” That dress, Leach said, was one of the most challenging items on the show’s list—but also the most rewarding.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Donatella on Versace is how her appearance changes after her brother’s death. Each department made its own contribution to that effort. For costumes, it meant keeping things somber. Though Leach and her team kept the character’s clothes fitted–and of course designer—they also avoided low-cut necklines, and kept Cruz a little more covered up in scenes set after the murder. “I would think that she would feel, you know, maybe safer in those layers,” Leach explained. “And, you know, there’s always elements of jewelry and stuff, but sometimes we downplayed it a little bit to make it more appropriate for the tone of the scene.”
THE FACE
Perhaps the biggest challenge in turning Cruz into Donatella was morphing her face—an effort spearheaded by Cruz’s make-up artist, Ana Lozano.
Lozano said thatshe and Cruz did a lot of their make-up tests back in Spain, before they even got on the plane to film. Together, they sifted through photos of Donatella’s looks, calibrating smokey eyes and contouring to get just the right balance. And if you’ve been wondering what, exactly, is making Cruz’s upper lip so plump on the series, the answer is more obvious than you’d think: it’s an instrument literally called “Plumper.”
“It’s a kind of dental prosthetic to make her lips bigger,” Lozano said. The effect also gives Cruz a slightly different-looking face. “Penelope has enough lips in reality,” Lozano clarified, but in real life, they are a different shape than those of the woman she plays. Lozano also used contouring to finish the look and further define Cruz’s lips—as well as to lightly massage the rest of her features into a more Donatella-like illusion.
Lozano tried using prosthetics for Cruz’s eyebrows, but in the end, it was simpler and more natural-looking to simply bleach them and give them a thinner shape. Then came the eyes—those smoky, smoky eyes. As Lozano notes, smokey eyes have changed over time; in the 90s, they had a rounder look, rather than the more cat-like approach that’s become popular now.
Like the costume team, Lozano worked to make sure Cruz’s “Donatella” physically changed after her brother’s death. She made her skin a little paler, and made her eye make-up just slightly less perfect—“just to make the impression that she was crying and she was not sleeping.” (Lozano adds that she particularly likes Cruz in slightly destroyed make-up, as it “gives more importance to the look.”) For the scenes set after Gianni’s death, Lozano also contoured Cruz a little more aggressively, making her features just a little sunken.
Cruz, Lozano said, was constantly practicing, working to get her portrayal just right; sometimes, Lozano even recorded the actress so she could review her facial expressions, or the way she gestured. “At the end,” Lozano said, “it’s like you press a button; it’s like, Wow. She is Donatella.”
THAT HAIR
Like Lozano, Cruz’s hair stylist Massimo Gattabrussi started working with Cruz in Madrid before making the final wigs for the series. When Cruz called Gattabrussi about the project, the stylist recalls he “remained silent for a few seconds.” Once his excitement for the challenge took over, he said, “I understood that it would be brilliant.” He used a photo book Donatella produced in 2016—Versace—to become more acquainted with the icon’s past.
Gattabrussi and Cruz tested color, hair quality, and style with about nine prototypes to ensure they got the right balance of characteristics. The stylist has long collaborated with the historical Italian studio Rocchetti-Rome, which allows him to participate in the construction and finalization of the wigs—which, he said, “is very important for me because of my close knowledge of Penelope and its physical and gestural characteristics.” In the end, they narrowed down their choice to three pieces, all of which made it on the series—two with bangs, one golden and the other platinum, and the third without bangs, with longer hair to give the illusion of extensions. As Gattabrussi put it, he’s “always looking in a line between real and fiction.”
How did Gattabrussi help the show’s Donatella express her grief after losing her brother? That’s what the third, bangs-less wig was for. 1997, he said, “was a sad year to represent.” In addition to tailoring the wig to fit the time’s fashion trends—longer, heavier hair without bangs—Gattabrussi said he “paid attention to detail like having increased the regrowth of dark hair to the root.” That, he said, helped the wig offer a more realistic image, and slightly lowered “the flash of platinum” that’s always been associated with Donatella’s powerful and iconic image.
American Crime Story: Versace: How Penelope Cruz Became Donatella
Costume Designer Lou Eyrich Outfits Iconic Designer in Style for The Assassination of Gianni Versace – The Credits
Costume designer Lou Eyrich‘s handiwork dominates the opening of Ryan Murphy’s new series The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (Wednesdays on FX) when the titular fashion designer begins his last day on earth swaddled in the lap of luxury. Versace (Edgar Ramirez), in silk pajamas, dresses for breakfast by slipping on a pink robe and, of course, Versace-branded slippers. Without a word of dialogue, Eyrich and creator-producer-director-writer Ryan Murphy establish Versace’s luxurious life in Miami shortly before he’s murdered by Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss). “Making the robe pink was Ryan’s idea because he wanted to show the color and vibrancy of Miami,” she says. “The pajamas and robe were silk because we wanted something opulent that would flow through the hallways as Versace walked down the steps to the pool.”
Ryan Murphy’s name comes up a lot when Eyrich discusses The Assassinationin particular and her career in general. A three-time Emmy winner for her contributions to Murphy’s American Horror Story franchise, Eyrich started collaborating with the TV auteur in 1999, employed as assistant costume designer on his first series Popular. She says, “In our first production meeting, Ryan went through the script rattling off everything he wanted. ‘He has to wear a blue fur coat, he’s got to have that.’ He was so specific about every prop, the costumes, the locations. I remember leaning over to the costume designer and whispering ‘I don’t know who this guy is but he’s going to be big time.‘”
In previous Murphy-created shows, Eyrich channeled 1960s Hollywood (Feud: Bette and Joan) and Pilgrim garb circa 1590 (AHS: Roanoke). By comparison The Assassination of Gianni Versace, set in 1997, offered a fairly straight forward curatorial challenge. She says, “We spent days on end ordering online as much Versace as we could get our hands on. There’s a lot of Versace collectors out there, so we managed to put a lot of authentic pieces into the show. Edgar was really eager to assimilate Versace’s posture and movement so it all came together quite nicely.”
Penelope Cruz plays the designer’s strong-willed sister Donatella. The Spanish actress is friends with Ms. Versace and had her own ideas about dressing “Donatella,” beginning with her grand entrance in black leather pants and jacket. “A lot of the story takes place after Gianni gets killed so she there’s a lot of black,” Eyrich says. “But even though Donatella’s grieving, we wanted to show her strong side, that she’s a powerful business woman who’s being asked to take over the family business.”
Cruz as Donatella cuts a dramatic figure onscreen, inspired by imagery Eyrich studied during her pre-production research. She says “Donatella was always very well put together – – jewelry, shoes, purses, everything was very couture. And a big part of Donatella’s look had to do with corseted waists. It was also important also to show leg, because she has great legs. We wanted to emulate that silhouette without blatantly copying the clothes.”
In contrast to “Donatella”‘s sleek ensembles, Cunanan’ grubby clothes reflect his homeless status by the time the serial killer arrived in Miami. “He was basically living out of his backpack,” says Eyrich, who scoured thrift stores for well-worn tee shirts from the period. During flashback to 1990, Criss as Cunanan favors suits that hang loosely on his wire frame. “Today, everybody goes with the tailored suit and the narrow leg but suits in the eighties and nineties were a bit over-sized in the shoulders and baggy in the leg. So when you look back at the nineties, the suits do look too big.”
On a break from costume-designing Murpy’s upcoming ’80s-era show Pose, Eyrich notes that before teaming up with the television mogul, she’d work with another detail-obsessed perfectionist: Prince. A Minnesota native, Eyrich spent two years on the road serving as costumer to the musical genius/fashion plate. “I ironed the clothes and dressed Prince backstage,” Eyrich says. “He was always very precise: ‘I want that leopard top with those black pants and this shoe. Put two stripes there. Add those buttons over here.’ I hadn’t really thought of it before but Prince knew everything that was going on around him and so does Ryan Murphy. No matter how many balls they have up in the air, with both of them, it’s like eyes in the back of the head.”
How Well Did This Show Re-create Versace Looks?
There was a lot of fashion to soak up in episode two of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, which aired Wednesday night on FX. In addition to seeing Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss) in a custom-made, teeny-tiny hot-pink Speedo, the costume department re-created eight nearly identical looks from Gianni Versace’s final runway show before his death, since Versace wouldn’t lend any vintage pieces for the filming.
Below, costume designer Lou Eyrich breaks down all the standout scenes.
THAT Hot-Pink Speedo
The world first got a glimpse of Andrew Cunanan’s hot-pink Speedo bathing suit when actor Darren Criss shared a racy photo of it it on his personal Instagram account. But here it is in action. “We custom-made those,” said Eyrich. “Ryan [Murphy] wanted hot-pink Speedos. He’s very specific.”
Versace’s Last Runway Show
The costume department’s team of tailors re-created eight looks from Atelier Versace’s fall 1997 show, which was Gianni’s last. In the episode, Gianni and Donatella get in an argument about casting models. Donatella, who is worried about the brand keeping up with names like Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, wants stick-thin girls in all-black. Meanwhile, Gianni wants to continue using his favorite supermodels like Naomi Campbell, dressing them in his now-signature color and shine.
“I want my models to look like they enjoy life,” says Gianni. “Like they eat, at least! Like they laugh; like they dance; like they make love. What do those girls enjoy?”
“Front covers?” Donatella retorts.
“The script specified a distinction,” explained Eyrich, so they showed five looks of Donatella’s liking, and three of Gianni’s. Naomi Campbell closed the show as a shimmering bride in a scandalously short silver dress.
This woman is “not a virgin bride” but a “Versace bride,” says Gianni. “She will be a woman who’s loved many men before. A woman who’s finally found her equal — a match for her passions. She won’t be dainty or timid; she will be proud and strong.”
In the end, Times critic Amy M. Spindler gave the collection a positive review.
In Da Club
Gianni walks into Twist, a popular Miami club wearing an incredible, see-through lace shirt. “Less is more,” said Eyrich of the ’90s Miami nightlife look. “It was a lot of tank tops. A lot of shirtless men. Very sweaty, but also Ryan really wanted to show those Miami colors — that sizzle. It’s hot, hot heat. So there were a lot of short shorts and white jeans and flip-flops. Just very carefree, free-spirited lightness. A lot of skin and hot bodies.”
Cunanan was also at a Miami nightclub that night. When his dance partner asks what he does for a living, he replies, “I’m a serial killer,” with a smile.
‘Assassination of Gianni Versace’ Costume Designers Source Original Garments and Sew New Ones
Having dispatched the O.J. Simpson saga, Ryan Murphy’s “American Crime Story” anthology series now turns its second-season attention to a controversial fashion titan with “The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” which debuted Jan. 17 on FX.
While working on this installment of the series, costume designers Lou Eyrich and Allison Leach developed a deeper appreciation of the late designer’s artistry as they researched his garments and accessories at the FIDM Museum & Galleries in downtown Los Angeles — home to the Versace Menswear Archive.
“We were able to look at actual garments you couldn’t touch without white gloves,” says Leach. “We were able to see the seam work and the detail and …re-create the garments with integrity.”
The costume designers didn’t have to remake every piece worn by Édgar Ramírez, who plays Gianni Versace, and Penélope Cruz, who was cast as his sister, Donatella. They sourced vintage Versace from vendors at L.A. clothing marketplace A Current Affair as well as L.A.’s The Way We Wore and Miami’s C Madeleine’s. They also shopped online, scoring finds on eBay and Etsy.
But they refashioned an impressive amount of clothing, including nearly 20 looks for a Versace fashion show seen early in the series as well as signature garments worn by Donatella, not least her famous bondage dress, and a studded leather shirt Gianni wears to a nightclub. And they did this while working with just one full-time tailor — Joanne Mills — assigned to the project. (“You give her a hint of what you want, show her some pictures and she’s instantly got it draped on a form,” praises Eyrich. The costume designers also relied on the skill of leather expert and tailor Jonathan A. Logan, who made several pieces for the series, including the aforementioned leather shirt.
In the pilot, Eyrich and Leach use fashion to play up the stark contrast between Gianni’s opulent and happy world and the seedy existence of hustler Andrew Cunanan, played by Darren Criss, the serial killer who murdered the fashion designer in 1997. Ramírez as Gianni wears a chic wardrobe full of gorgeous silk pajamas and robes, printed shirts and studded belts from his own line. Criss as Cunanan sports a mix of ’90s aspirational preppy items, often stolen, and unremarkable everyday wear.
“Part of our goal was to create that distinction so that you could see Andrew lusting after everything Versace had,” Leach says.
The actors were all devoted to wearing the looks correctly, Eyrich explains. “It was very important for them to respect and celebrate Gianni and Donatella, which was our intention as well.”
‘Assassination of Gianni Versace’ Costume Designers Source Original Garments and Sew New Ones
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