Mario Testino and Claudia Schiffer
Photo By Stephane Feugere
FOR SALE: It looks like Versace's Italian villa is up for sale. WWD has learned from a source that the Versace family is in talks to vend Villa Le Fontanelle in Moltrasio on Lake Como to Australia's Sunland Group Ltd., its partner in the Palazzo Versace hotel project. Sunland is believed to be interested in renting out the 18th-century mansion to the super rich rather than developing it into a hotel, the source said. Versace declined to comment Friday and Sunland would not return phone calls at press time. A Como-based real estate agent said the residence could "easily" fetch 20 million euros, or $30 million at current exchange, to 25 million euros, or $38 million, but that following the recent influx of new money to the area, in particular from Russia, a price two or three times that figure was not unfeasible. While a favorite haunt of artists, writers and aristocrats for centuries, Como has soared in popularity since George Clooney bought his 18th-century villa down the shoreline in Laglio in 2002.
Versace's Villa Le Fontanelle has hosted celebrities ever since Gianni Versace bought and restored it in the late Seventies. Madonna, Elton John, Sting, Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Lopez have stayed there, while Patrick Dempsey, star of "Grey's Anatomy" and Versace's spring men's wear campaign, was a recent guest. The Queensland-based Sunland Group has a license agreement with the Italian fashion company to build 15 resorts under the Palazzo Versace brand. The first opened on the Gold Coast, Australia, in 2000 and a second is under construction in Dubai and scheduled for completion next year.
WORK IN PROGRESS: Filmmaker Sofia Coppola is at work again after a year hiatus to nurture her daughter, Romy. "I'm just getting going," said Coppola at Martine Sitbon's Rue du Mail show on Friday. "I'm doing a script. You know how writers are: It takes time." French actor Gaspard Ulliel said he's back in Paris for a couple of days after three months filming in Cambodia and another two months in Israel. "I'm leaving next week for Burgundy to start 'The Vintner's Luck,'" said the actor of the Niki Caro-directed film based on the novel of the same name. "I play the angel."
Versace's Villa Le Fontanelle has hosted celebrities ever since Gianni Versace bought and restored it in the late Seventies. Madonna, Elton John, Sting, Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Lopez have stayed there, while Patrick Dempsey, star of "Grey's Anatomy" and Versace's spring men's wear campaign, was a recent guest. The Queensland-based Sunland Group has a license agreement with the Italian fashion company to build 15 resorts under the Palazzo Versace brand. The first opened on the Gold Coast, Australia, in 2000 and a second is under construction in Dubai and scheduled for completion next year.
WORK IN PROGRESS: Filmmaker Sofia Coppola is at work again after a year hiatus to nurture her daughter, Romy. "I'm just getting going," said Coppola at Martine Sitbon's Rue du Mail show on Friday. "I'm doing a script. You know how writers are: It takes time." French actor Gaspard Ulliel said he's back in Paris for a couple of days after three months filming in Cambodia and another two months in Israel. "I'm leaving next week for Burgundy to start 'The Vintner's Luck,'" said the actor of the Niki Caro-directed film based on the novel of the same name. "I play the angel."
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