Posts from the ‘International stars’ Category

Sagittarius Fashion Idol: Gianni Versace

December 2, 1946 Reggio di Calabria, Italty noon* (time unknown)

The life and death of Sagittarius legend Gianni Versace remains one of the most colorful tales of modern fashion history. Born in Italy in 1946, Gianni got his first taste for design assisting his mother with embroidering her gowns. At the age of 25 he decided to make fashion his career and moved to Milan to commence an apprenticeship. By 1975 he had opened his own label and by 1979 he had befriended influential fashion photographer, Taurus Richard Avedon. Life just fell perfectly into place for young Gianni Versace.

This is often the case with Sagittarius men. They are happy, confident, outspoken, proactive, thoughtful and have a very healthy self-image. They imagine how they want their life to be, they will it into happening, and then they buckle down and enjoy the ride. They can’t really help it, having an extraordinary life full of adventure is their birthright. You see, Sagittarius is the sign of royalty. And as Gianni himself once said, “In the past, people were born royal. Nowadays, royalty comes from what you do.” It was his journey to make beautiful things and meet beautiful, glamorous people and he threw himself in 100%.

Gianni’s royalty of spirit was demonstrated not only by becoming the best, the greatest, in his field, but by having the common touch with people; their respect as well as their admiration. This talent came from his watery, empathetic Pisces moon. Gianni’s trick was that he related to people on a human level. Pisces moon people do not have a shield up, they wear their heart on their sleeve, and are loving and kind and receptive to just about every soul who crosses their path. This type of sincerity can win you a lot of friends in the fickle, manipulative and hollow world of celebrity and high fashion. Especially when coupled with a fun-loving Sagittarius sun.

Fashion-wise, the hallmark of Sagittarius is bright colors, bells and whistles, short hemlines, big busts, and all the glitter and glamour you can throw into one package (think of Sagittarian women like Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Anna Nicole Smith). Saggs favor clothes that can be a bit campy and costumey, so it is no surprise that during his career Gianni designed clothes for many entertainers and shows, even a few Hollywood movies. Sometimes, a more refined Sagg fashion energy throws over the bells and whistles but usually keeps the short hemlines and wild colors. And boy did Gianni Versace love short hemlines and wild colors. His body-hugging, electrifying, barely there outfits caused a sensation in the fashion industry from the very beginning. And he desinged some of the single most famous, and shocking, dresses of the past quarter century, including Elizabeth Hurley’s safety-pin dress.

Having the courage and perserverence to throw himself into his passion head-first came from having three planets (Jupiter, Venus, Mercury) conjunct in determined, tough and focued Scorpio. Scorpio is the sign of sex, and this placement also influenced the overt (Sagg) sexuality (Scorpio) of his designs. His other important conjunction, Pluto and Saturn in Leo, has a decidedly darker flavor. Pluto is the planet of power, Saturn the planet of difficulty and Leo the sign of fame. This placement indactes lasting power and influence, but also hardship associated with this. Indeed, he was famously murdered outside his home in Miami Beach, Florida by Virgo serial killer Andrew Cunanan on July 15, 1997 at the age of 50. The Versace label is now run by his brother, fellow Sagittarius, Santo, mostly owned by his Cancer niece Allegra, and designed by his Taurus sister Donatella. Though his murder was shocking and senseless, certainly any Sagg worth their salt would rather go out with a bang at the peak of their career than decay into old age.

As a testament to how truly beloved he was, more than 2,000 mourners came to his funeral to pay their last respects to such a colorful and caring man. Cancer Princess Diana famously comforted Aries Elton John in the 1st pew. During his time at the top of the fashion world, he had not only created an archtypal, modern, sexy style which will forever be associated with him, but also presided over a court of glamorous supermodels who adored him. The last great age of the supermodel in the late 1980s and early 1990s, coincided with Versace’s reign in fashion, and epitomized the bold, brazen, bombshell joie de vivre that he celebrated. Taurus Linda Evangelista, Gemini Naomi Campbell, Virgo Claudia Schiffer, Capricorn Christy Turlington, and Pisces Cindy Crawford were among the group of goddesses who never had a bad word to say about Gianni. The ethos and spirit of the high living, glam Versace era was so flash that it took nothing short of the dark, repressed grunge movement in culture and fashion to overthrow it.