La Dolce Vita di Versace

Q: Salma Hayek, another big fan of yours, told me that she loves your clothes because you push things to the limit, but always know where to stop.

A: [Laughs] It's very important to know the limits of where you can go with good taste.

Q: At the New York Spring '97 show you had--by far--the most celebrities. Elizabeth Hurley, Hugh Grant, Mira Sorvino, Salma Hayek, Elton John, Jon Bon Jovi, Steven Tyler, Woody Allen and Kirstie Alley were all in the audience. That's quite a collection of friends.

A: All of them were very nice to come. They are more and more interested in my work, especially when it goes beyond fashion, when we become friends, when they know the person who is designing the clothes.

Q: I've got a roster here of some actors I want to get your take on. Let's run down the list and talk about who has style and who really needs a makeover. How about Cameron Diaz?

A: Breathless. Breathless. She is a beautiful girl. She understands she wants to be glamorous--and she is. She can wear anything from my collections.

Q: Patricia Arquette?

A: I would put her in a menswear look with something sexy underneath. She's sophisticated and should stay that way. She's a petite girl, not a big woman, and should keep it simple.

Q: Winona Ryder?

A: She doesn't understand fashion yet. When she does, she will be breathless. She has minimal taste in fashion. She has to let herself come out. She can wear anything from the last campaign that Kate Moss wore.

Q: Ashley Judd?

A: I don't know her very well, but I liked her very much in A Time To Kill. A great presence. She just has to let go and express herself. She's a beauty, she just has to try and understand where she wants to go.

Q: Mira Sorvino?

A: A great actress. In reality, she tries too much to be Grace Kelly. She is not.

Q: Elizabeth Berkley?

A: She wore Versace when she did Showgirls. I don't think that film was as bad as they say. It was a funny movie. I would cool her down. She's such a furious beauty, an energetic beauty, she should keep it simple.

Q: Sandra Bullock?

A: I would make her a little more sophisticated. She's a beautiful girl and a good actress. Anything that Christy Turlington wears in my show would be perfect for her. They both have the same kind of fresh American beauty. I say the name of the model because when my sister and my staff and I organize the dresses for the girls, we care a lot about the personality of the girl. If it's something smashing we give it to Naomi [Campbell], something classic we give it to Christy, and something fresh we give it to Kate Moss.

Q: Julia Roberts?

A: To me Julia Roberts is explosive. There's such potential in her beauty. But I don't think she understands that. I saw her in Versace on the cover of Vanity Fair and thought, "Ahhhh." For the Oscars, I would put her in something sexy with lace, almost transparent.

Q: Alicia Silverstone?

A: A wonderfully pretty girl. She's a sweet girl, she's young. I think in fashion she needs to grow.

Q: Claire Danes?

A: She's too young. She should stay home.

Q: Your menswear is as popular in Hollywood as your women's collections. Let's talk about guys.

A: I never saw so many of my shirts as at the Academy Awards. There are so many beautiful young Americans. What is the name of that actor on the cover of Interview? [He fishes through a pile of magazines on the table.] Ah, Johnathon Schaech. Brad Pitt is a beauty, too. I like his personality and the way he looks un-dressed up when he's dressed up. His nonchalance is very him and very fashionable.

Q: What about Matthew McConaughey?

A: Matthew McConaughey is the heaven of America. When you think of an American guy, you think of him. He must stay in blue jeans, live in blue jeans.

Q: Leonardo DiCaprio?

A: I know him. He is such a sweet guy. I think his sense of style is very fresh, very romantic, very individual.

Q: Stephen Dorff?

A: He's so beautiful, so fresh. He's beautiful as a man but as a woman, my God. [Brings both hands to his face and laughs] He's sexy as a boy so to see him as a woman [in I Shot Andy Warhol] was strange.

Q: Christian Slater?

A: I don't think he needs to change.

Q: Chris O'Donnell?

A: In Batman Forever--perfect. [Laughs] He should live, he should sleep in that costume.

Q: Charlie Sheen?

A: He already wears a lot of Versace. Kiefer Sutherland, too.

Q: Jason Patric?

A: He is gorgeous. What did those old-fashioned American soldiers wear? Those blue cadet uniforms. I see him in that. He has the perfect American face.

Q: Why do you think so many celebrities love your clothes?

A: They understand that I stand out from the crowd and they have to stand out. Look at Elizabeth Hurley. She wore my dress to the VH1 Fashion Awards and she got on 10 [newspaper] covers in London the next day. They know it helps.

Q: And it helps having celebrities at the shows, too.

A: Yes. Having stars in the audience makes it an event.

Q: You also use a lot of celebrities in your advertising campaigns. Who's next?

(this seems to be cut off. let me know how it looks in the magazine.)

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