From Miami to Tangier, via the French Riviera, Cascais and the Hamptons, the biggest names in fashion have found summer retreats far from the catwalks and spotlights where they can express their creative genius. Mythical villas, family homes, secret workshops and castles, each of these exceptional places embodies the spirit, audacity and art de vivre of their famous owners.
This summer, LUXUS MAGAZINE takes you on a weekly tour of a prestigious residence: a nine-part journey through the iconic vacation spots of the world’s greatest fashion designers. Today, our journey takes us to Miami, to Villa Casuarina, Gianni Versace’s neo-Mediterranean gem, where Italian opulence and tropical palm trees blend together brilliantly.
Villa Casa Casuarina, a temple of Mediterranean baroque designed by Gianni Versace
It is impossible to talk about legendary summer residences without mentioning Gianni Versace’s villa in Miami Beach. Purchased in 1992, Casa Casuarina is a tribute to Italian opulence, inspired by the Alcázar de Colón in Santo Domingo. Versace invested more than $33 million to transform this 1930s building into a Mediterranean palace: mosaics, frescoes, marble, gilding, a 16-meter swimming pool encrusted with 24-karat gold… everything exudes excess and glamour.
An Italian dream on Ocean Drive
When Gianni Versace discovered South Beach in the early 1990s, he fell in love with its Art Deco aesthetic, its sultry atmosphere, and its vibrant light. He bought Casa Casuarina, a neo-Mediterranean house inspired by a Dominican colonial palace.
Casa Casuarina was built in 1930 by architect Alden Freeman, son of Joel Freeman, treasurer of the Standard Oil Company. When Freeman died in 1937, Jacques Amsterdam bought the property for $100,000 and converted it into a 24-unit apartment building called The Amsterdam Palace.
The building subsequently changed hands several times and was renamed Christopher Columbus Apartments due to the architectural features of the house, evoking the era of the famous explorer.
In 1992, Gianni Versace bought the property for $2.95 million and gave it a new name. The fashion designer took it on with a clear ambition: to turn it into a palace where every detail tells a story. He acquired the adjoining hotel to expand the estate and orchestrated a massive renovation. The result lived up to his vision: a veritable temple of Mediterranean Baroque style in the heart of Miami, with eight bedrooms, two kitchens, three living rooms, ten bathrooms, a bar, four sitting rooms, central air conditioning, and a library with a ceiling that took several months to paint by hand. It is a personal nod to the Sistine Chapel, but with a Versace twist: mythological figures with sculpted muscles, draped in fabrics inspired by his own haute couture collections.
At the bottom of the garden, Gianni Versace kept a small studio where he would draw his designs alone, often late at night, listening to music. He said it was where he found “peace between two fashion shows.” Several prints that have become cult classics—such as the baroque gold on black motif—were created there.
Orchestrated opulence and a legendary party venue
The renovation of the villa is a true work of art. Golden columns, antique statues, velvet curtains, hand-painted ceilings: each room is a living painting. A monumental 16-meter swimming pool is covered with 24-karat gold leaf and set with thousands of handcrafted mosaic tiles.
Gianni Versace designed his home as a theater stage, a manifesto of his style where classical history meets pop culture. Far from minimalism, he embraced excess as a form of elegance. Here, refinement is expressed through profusion, and beauty becomes spectacular.
The villa is not just a summer retreat. It is also a workshop, a laboratory where the designer comes to draw inspiration. But above all, it was a place of legendary parties. Lavish dinners, costume parties, artistic performances, grandiose floral decorations… Casa Casuarina became the neural center of the jet set.
Madonna, Naomi Campbell, Elton John, Diana Ross, Sting… All the big names paraded through the villa’s salons. The festivities were orchestrated like haute couture collections: with panache, sensuality and that touch of irony so characteristic of Versace. Glamour reached its peak here. It is said that during a dinner on the patio, Gianni Versace had a mini “Roman villa” recreated in flowers, with real actors dressed as Greek gods serving the dishes, to celebrate a private birthday. Elton John, amazed, is said to have remarked, “This is bigger than the Oscars.”
Gianni Versace liked to say that Casa Casuarina was his personal opera house. Everything, from the central staircase to the door handles, had an aesthetic purpose. He even placed different scented candles in each room so that every corner evoked a particular mood – “like a stage set,” he confided to a close friend.
Tragedy on the front-steps
But on the morning of July 15, 1997, the magic came to an abrupt end. Gianni Versace was shot dead at point-blank range on the steps of his villa. Andrew Cunanan, an American serial killer wanted by the FBI, ended the designer’s life in front of the villa’s black gate.
The shock was felt around the world. The fashion world was in turmoil. The image of the bloodstained steps made the front page of every newspaper. Miami lost its king of style. The villa became a place of remembrance. The gates were covered with flowers, letters, and candles. A legend was born.
A hotel renaissance
After Gianni Versace’s death, the villa was bought in 2000 for $19 million by businessman Peter Loftin, who undertook a complete renovation to transform it into a high-end hotel with shops, a restaurant, and event space.
In 2013, the property changed hands again, this time being purchased for $41.5 million by Joseph Nakash, an American-Israeli entrepreneur. Since 2015, the residence has been operating under the name The Villa, Casa Casuarina. True to the spirit of its creator, it retains its sumptuous décor—mosaics, frescoes, original furniture—and now houses ten luxurious suites and a renowned restaurant, Gianni’s, in homage to the fashion designer.
Today, guests can sleep in the Venus suite, Gianni Versace’s former bedroom, or swim in his legendary golden pool. It is a unique experience: spending a few hours in the privacy of one of the greatest designers of the 20th century.
The Villa Casa Casuarina remains an intact testament to Gianni Versace’s aesthetic vision. A unique blend of Italian baroque, Greco-Roman mythology, excess, and audacity. It is here that the couturier’s soul is expressed in all its glory: free, provocative, rooted in culture, and wildly contemporary.
Miami, the ideal setting for a life of light
When Versace moved there, South Beach was still in decline. His presence acted as a catalyst, attracting artists, investors, fashion designers, and the media. The designer restored Miami’s glamorous sparkle. The city alone embodies all the contrasts that Versace loved to combine: classic rigor and tropical exuberance, Art Deco architectural rigor and freedom of form, sensuality and aestheticism. The tropical climate, the harsh light, the colorful sunsets, the human fauna at the crossroads of Latin, European and American influences, the endless beaches, the evening lights… everything here seemed to inspire the couturier. South Beach became his canvas, Casa Casuarina his signature.
With its endless beaches, iconic Art Deco architecture, palm trees lined up like in Hollywood and golden light, Miami Beach is much more than just a seaside destination: it’s a state of mind. A must for those who love to combine sun, culture and glamour, it appeals to both lazy holidaymakers and design enthusiasts. Stroll along Ocean Drive, explore the galleries of the Design District, soak up the vibe of Wynwood with its XXL murals, and sample the nightlife with rooftop cocktails and legendary clubs. For wellness, try paddleboarding at sunrise, shopping on Lincoln Road, or yoga on the sand. Miami Beach is the perfect blend of tropical exuberance and style, beach and urbanity.
And that’s undoubtedly why so many designers, stars, and dreamers seek refuge here.
Today, the city remains marked by this imprint, a city of contrasts, excess, and freedom. It perfectly mirrors the Versace aesthetic. The name Versace remains associated with Miami Beach, just as Saint Laurent is associated with Marrakech and Chanel with the French Riviera.
In short, almost thirty years after the death of its owner, Villa Casa Casuarina remains an icon. Neither a mausoleum nor a simple hotel, it is a lived-in place, a living memory. The style of Gianni Versace, bold and baroque, still resonates there.
Although Villa Casa Casuarina is now a luxury hotel, it remains steeped in anecdotes and glimpses of a flamboyant lifestyle orchestrated by a designer who knew how to turn his summer retreat into a temple dedicated to beauty, audacity, and celebration.
Read also > SUMMER SAGA: Designers’ retreats – Episode 01: Yves Saint Laurent and Villa Mabrouka
Featured image: montage of Gianni Versace’s portrait and the pool at Casa Casuarina ©Villa Casa Casuarina
