Getting his start designing for the label Genny, Gianni Versace showed his first couture collection in 1978 and became one of the truly big names of the 1980s fashion scene. His trademark was the use of rich colors - red, yellow and purple - with his emblem, the golden head of Medusa. Using leather, lace, silk and denim, Versace designed clothing for the 80s woman full of sexual power and eroticism. He also produced a line of elegant and timeless black evening gowns - a must have in the socialites of the 80s and 90s while his sister, Donatella, designed his diffusion line, Versus, which launched in 1993. Versace was a favorite of many famous women in the 1990s. Princess Diana had a fondness for Versace and Elizabeth Hurley was an overnight sensation when she wore a Versace gown which was held together with gold safety pins. His untimely death in 1997 caused a huge hole in the fashion world and his sister has since taken over as head designer for the House of Versace.