THE LIFE AND ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: THE BREAK-DOWN This week, Tyffaine Akkouche explores the life and tragic murder of world-renowned fashion designer Gianni Versace, depicting the timeline of the ordeal and zeroing in on his brutal murderer, Andrew Cunanan.
the pop-punk scene at the time. So when they, at the height of their career, announced a complete change in musical direction through a series of Instagram and Twitter posts from Walters’ account, the one question on the mind of fans everywhere was; why?
The name Versace cannot be said without the imagery of lavish, sexual and sophisticated designs following it close behind. Created in 1978, the fashion brand still to this day and perhaps every day to follow will have its imprint on the industry. Gianni Versace - the man behind the now multi-billion dollar company was one of the most influential designers of his time. Although his designs stirred much criticism within the media for being overtly sexual and promiscuous, it never made him falter on his way to the top. A fashion pioneer and revolutionary, Mr. Versace had very humble beginnings in the small Italian town of Reggio Calabria where he grew up watching his mother work at her sewing shop as a dress-maker. His passion sparked from there and became a fire so bright, it lives on even after his death. One of the most notable impacts Mr. Versace had on the industry was the way he transformed it into the celebrity-centred, luxurious and extravagant show it is now. ''He was the first to realize the value of the celebrity in the front row, and the value of the supermodel, and put
The Great Depression is the band's third full-length album. It is a concept album which focuses on the themes of mental health and the societal romanticisation of depression throughout. The album’s title is derived from the severe economic depression of the same name that occurred in the 1930s in the United States, although the album’s namesake refers more to a psychological depression as opposed to an economic one.
The main concept behind the idea was suggested by guitarist Benjamin Biss and follows the story of a narrator whom the band refer to as The Poet. The album follows The Poet’s struggles with depression and the band have stated that the character is one that they feel they can relate to on some level; being a typically normal, married man living life like anyone else. As the album progresses, the severity of The Poet’s depression becomes so high that he begins to talk with
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his mind’s depiction of Death. He speaks to Death in the same way he would speak to his wife, neither Death or his wife acting as a clear protagonist or antagonist, but both offering their solutions to his problems. His wife desperately tries to show him the beauty that life has to offer and ask him to stay with her, whilst Death is trying to take his suffering away, with both characters trying to do what is best for The Poet. The End is the closing song of the record which lyrically conveys The Poet’s frustrations with the events occurring across the album, leaving The Poet’s story unfinished. In their official announcement on their Facebook page, the band wrote “This album is about asking questions rather than offering answers, exploring the lines where consolation and glorification collide, and asking if art is too subjective to offer a universal solution.” The drastic change in musical styling that is prominent in this record was subtly hinted at in their older works. For example, when looking at the middle section of No Way Out (a single from their second studio album Okay), the band’s emo-rock/ post-hardcore influences begin to subtly show, in the form of roaring, distorted guitar riffs and Walters’ raspy, shouted vocals. However, it is also