The Assassination of Gianni Versace: High fashion in your front room



It’s unexpected for high fashion to mix with murder, but The Assassination of Gianni Versace - American Crime Story, seems like a natural, even if concerning, fit. Starring Penelope Cruz and Darren Criss, it boasts a blockbuster cast well qualified to take on the box office. However, the nine-part BBC series is expertly tailored for the slightly smaller screen.  

As a story confined to the pages of fashion magazines, the series is an opportunity for viewers to understand the fashion mogul’s life and death through an accessible medium. It follows the murder of Gianni by his ex-lover Andrew Cunanan and immediately positions the viewer in a state of discomfort. You are confused by Andrew's sweet exterior, yet horrific secrets and interrupted by the introduction of Donatella, Versace's sister.


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Shots bathed in golden light immediately involve viewers in the timeline of Versace and Andrew. By switching between perspectives, the series evokes a powerful nostalgia for a past only just witnessed by viewers. There is a poignant sense of loss for Darren Criss’s Andrew, as his slick exterior rapidly develops into criminal and physical decline.

High fashion is inherently alienating which makes it desirable. But the presentation of Gianni via a television series reduces the gap between high fashion and a viewer's reality. It can be watched from the comfort of your own home; copies of Vogue and an understanding of the fashion industry are not required.

The name Versace means little to some, and to others, even less that denim. Referred to as “the jeans guy” moments after his murder, the series acknowledges Versace's varied influence from within the walls of his home and the public's perspective. The selling point is its awareness of this divide in understanding. It could be about any murder, it could be fictional, it could depict the death of your most highly regarded designer; it works universally. Viewers are immediately transfixed by Versace, as a character, even if not in reality.


The name Versace means little to some, and to others, even less that denim.


The BBC prides itself on its sharp focus on viewers. In the production of The Assassination of Gianni Versace the desire by viewers to access the cinematic at home has been thoughtfully understood. The series illustrates the blurring lines between television and cinema. As television show budgets continue to grow (Game of Thrones season 6 reached 10 million dollars per episode) and cinema becomes increasingly serialised, this understanding of viewers changing tastes is vital.

The Assassination of Gianni Versace lets high fashion into viewers front rooms and makes up for what most wardrobes are lacking. BBC2's series continues on March 7th, 9pm, and is a gift to thriller enthusiasts and fashionistas alike. The first word is Versace. I have a feeling we'll be hearing it a lot.


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