Gianni Versace Remembered by His Girls 20 Years After His Death

It’s been 20 years since the death of Gianni Versace.

In 1997, the designer was murdered outside his Miami mansion, and the fashion world has never been the same. His absence is still deeply felt among the people who worked with him.

Naomi Campbell, Versace’s historical muse, remembered the talented friend in an interview for Vogue Italia:

“I can hear him in my mind, telling me don’t do this, get out of this situation. And I obey. I owe it to him that I am still alive. I miss him every day.”

For Naomi, the fashion designer was more than a friend; he was her protector, a sort of guardian angel.

Cindy Crawford, for whom Versace tailored the iconic plunging red dress that she wore at the 63rd annual Academy Awards, remembered the friend with a moving Instagram post:

Gianni’s girls. ❤️ Remembering #GianniVersace today.

Christy Turlington, one of the “Big 4” (with Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell and

Cindy Crawford), remembered him with another Instagram post:

#tbt This photo by @patrickdemarchelier was taken around this exact time of year in Paris in the early 90’s. Me, Gianni, @iamnaomicampbell @stephanieseymourofficial and #yasmeenghauri during the couture shows when we used to shoot in between shows. I met the Versace’s early in my career when I was 16 or 17. It was a big deal to be photographed for their early campaigns by Richard Avedon in NYC. Gianni was always so kind to me and very affectionate. He was also always really excited about showing these collections in Paris at the Ritz Hotel. He loved his family and team so much and it felt good to be a part of it for many years. It’s hard to imagine 20 years have passed since he was murdered. I lost my father in the same summer…not my favorite year in life or in fashion… @versace_official #gonebutneverforgotten