WASHINGTON, July 15: Gianni Versace, one of the world's top fashion designers, was shot to death by an unknown assailant on Tuesday morning outside his mansion in Miami Beach, Florida.

Versace, 50, was returning from a nearby restaurant after breakfasting and was at the gate of his Spanish-style mansion when he was shot in the head by a white male assailant, police said. He was brought dead to the hospital.

Police said robbery did not appear to be the motive. The world famous designer lived in the trendy Ocean Beach area, a beehive of tourists. His house is on a street called Deco Drive, so called because it is home to many modelling agencies.

Versace was considered among the world's top designers along with Pierre Cardin, Giorgio Armani and others. He was often called the Picasso of couture.

An Italian by birth, he began a career as a banker and an economics teacher (he had a degree in business administration) but he switched over to fashion in the 70s. He began designing ready made clothes in 1972 in Milan, the world's fashion capital, and launched his own Gianni Versace label in 1978.

A flamboyant designer, he was known as a showman in the fashion world, often launching shows with rock music under floodlights. Lately, he had toned down. ``Serenity... I always rework on themes that make Versace a classic name with serenity,'' he said recently, describing his Fall '97 fashion collection.

The world of haute couture was stunned by the murder, which recalled the shooting of John Lennon of the music world. Police did not have any immediate clue about a possible motive.

Versace was an active anti-Aids and cancer campaigner and worked closely with singer Elton John.

He wrote several books including his latest, Men Without Ties released only last month. Last year, he released Do Not Disturb, a glossy book on horne design. He gave the entire royalties from the book to cancer research.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.