Gianni Versace couture vintage black lace embellished a-line mini dress, fw 1996
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Bust: 33 in (83.82 cm)Waist: 30 in (76.2 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Antwerpen, BE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU44722832492
Gianni Versace
The signature extravagance of legendary fashion designer Gianni Versace — forever aligned with glamour, sex, celebrity and spectacle — can overshadow the Italian couturier’s broad and deep engagement with history and culture. Today, his vintage dresses and gowns, handbags, sunglasses and other accessories look astonishingly fresh and freshly relevant.
More than any designer before him, Versace mined celebrity, music and Pop art for inspiration, and his subversive, maximalist and unabashedly seductive designs infused high fashion with an entirely new ethos. “I don’t believe in good taste,” he once explained. Instead, he had a sexy good time with fashion — as he did with life.
Gianni Versace was born in Calabria, Italy. His mother was a successful dressmaker who employed more than 40 seamstresses. As a child, little Gianni marveled at her workshop, which would become a university of sorts, where he learned the exceptional construction techniques that were at the foundation of his creative expression.
In 1972, at age 25, he moved to Milan to work in fashion. He launched his first collection — and his label — in 1978, with his older brother Santo managing the business concerns. Soon, sister Donatella, whom Gianni dressed and took to discos when she was still a child, joined the family venture, where she had a creative role and managed enormously popular ready-to-wear lines such as Versus.
Vintage Versace — and Gianni Versace Couture, which debuted in 1989 — has become catnip for modern fashion enthusiasts who seek out the now-iconic house codes that originated in the designs of the 1980s and 1990s. His glamorous and seductive apparel — the clingy skirts and slender, strappy party dresses, as well as the erotic magazine ads that publicized them — looms large, but Versace’s art and historical influences were also vast.
Versace was an art collector, and he took on commissions to create costumes for theatrical performances during the 1980s and spoke of looking to numerous cultures for inspiration. The New York Times noted in 1997 that the fashion industry “is now driven by contemporary culture because Mr. Versace made it that way.”
Insiders consider his 1991/1992 Autumn/Winter runway show — which featured supermodels Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista lip-synching George Michael’s “Freedom” — as the moment when the two worlds of fashion and pop culture became one, changing both forever.
Versace's adventurous spirit of design resulted in his creating jewel-toned prints rooted in Grecian motifs, Etruscan symbols, the Italian Baroque and Andy Warholʼs Marilyn Monroe. There were slinky dresses in Oroton, his patented chain-mail textile that draped like satin, and leather bondage ensembles. Sex sold, for both women and men. Wrote the late curator Richard Martin, “[Versace] became the standard-bearer of gay men’s fashion because he eschewed decorum and designed for desire.”
Following Versace’s tragic murder in 1997, Donatella took over the role of artistic director and continued to evolve the house codes with a twist of her feminine and feminist perspective. Today, Santo Versace is chief executive officer of Versace and Donatella is its chief creative officer.
Browse an extraordinary collection of vintage Gianni Versace evening dresses, handbags, day dresses and more on 1stDibs.
Gianni Versace Couture
Subversive, maximalist and unabashedly seductive, Gianni Versace’s (1946–97) designs infused high fashion with an entirely new ethos. “I don’t believe in good taste,” the legendary Italian couturier once explained. Instead, he had a sexy good time with fashion — as he did with life.
Today, vintage Versace clothing, handbags and other accessories look astonishingly fresh and freshly relevant. The designer debuted his Atelier Versace line — which was part of the first Versace haute couture collection — in 1989.
More than any designer before him, Versace mined celebrity, music and Pop art for inspiration. In fact, the New York Times noted in 1997 that the fashion industry “is now driven by contemporary culture because Mr. Versace made it that way.”
Insiders consider his 1991/1992 Autumn/Winter runway show — which featured supermodels Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista lip-synching George Michael’s “Freedom! '90” — the moment when the two worlds of fashion and pop culture became one, changing both forever.
Versace was born in Reggio di Calabria, Italy. His mother was a successful dressmaker who employed more than 40 seamstresses. As a child, little Gianni marveled at her workshop, which would become a university of sorts, where he learned the exceptional construction techniques that were at the foundation of his creative expression.
In 1972, at age 25, Versace moved to Milan to work in fashion. He launched his first collection — and his label — in 1978, with his older brother Santo managing the business concerns. Soon, sister Donatella, whom Gianni dressed and took to discos when she was still a child, joined the family venture, where she had a creative role and managed enormously popular ready-to-wear lines such as Versus.
Vintage Versace — and 1989's Gianni Versace Couture — has become catnip for modern fashion enthusiasts who seek out the now-iconic house codes that originated in the designs of the 1980s and 1990s. His glamorous and seductive apparel — the clingy skirts and slender, strappy party dresses, as well as the erotic magazine ads that publicized them — looms large, but Versace’s art and historical influences were also vast.
Versace was an art collector, and he took on commissions to create costumes for theatrical performances during the 1980s and spoke of looking to numerous cultures for inspiration. This adventurous spirit of design resulted in his creating jewel-toned prints rooted in Grecian motifs, Etruscan symbols, the Italian Baroque and Andy Warholʼs Marilyn Monroe. There were slinky dresses in Oroton, his patented chain-mail textile that draped like satin, and leather bondage ensembles. Sex sold, for both women and men. Wrote the late curator Richard Martin, “[Versace] became the standard-bearer of gay men’s fashion because he eschewed decorum and designed for desire.”
Following Versace’s tragic murder in 1997, Donatella took over the role of artistic director and continued to evolve the house codes with a twist of her feminine and feminist perspective. Today, Santo Versace is chief executive officer of Versace and Donatella is its chief creative officer.
Browse an extraordinary collection of vintage Gianni Versace Couture bags, dresses and more on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Antwerpen, Belgium
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Vintage Roberto Cavalli signed reptile print and attached brooch long dressBy Roberto CavalliLocated in Antwerpen, Vlaams GewestStunning Vintage Roberto Cavalli early 2000s pink, salmon, brown, and cream phyton print slinky rayon/elastane viscose long dress. Attached phyton brooch Italian size 40 Excellent co...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Thierry Mugler couture 90s vintage black crepe dress.By Thierry MuglerLocated in Antwerpen, Vlaams GewestThierry Mugler couture 1990s vintage black crepe dress with black velvet detailing on the collar, buttons, cuffs, pockets, and plissé skirt. Unlined and closes with hidden. snaps in...Category
1990s French Cocktail Dresses
- Jean Colonna vintage SS 1998 asymmetric floral partly transparent jersey dressLocated in Antwerpen, Vlaams GewestVerlaine Vintage presents a Jean Colonna asymmetric floral dress from the spring-summer 1998 collection. A piece that epitomizes Jean Colonna's minimalist sensuality, this dress has an interesting asymmetric design. The left side is constructed with a regular long sleeve, while the right side is sleeveless and the neckline functions as a shoulder strap. The designer explored this concept in several of their mid-'90s collections. The piece is crafted from an unusual technical jersey (71% viscose, 21% nylon) with a floral print that would look right at home in a vintage 70s interior...Category
1990s Italian Day Dresses
- Yves Saint Laurent vintage 1980s tulle trimmed strapless dress and bolero setBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Antwerpen, Vlaams GewestYves Saint Laurent's original 1980s version of the tulle trimmed dress available in the Saint Laurent Fall 2019 collection. The strapless bustier dress comes with a matching bolero....Category
1980s French Cocktail Dresses
- Vintage 1970s Lanvin black crepe/velvet and rhinestone buttons elegant dressBy Lanvin ParisLocated in Antwerpen, Vlaams GewestBlack wool crepe with velvet & rhinestones button at the front + cuffs. French size 38 in excellent condition. Measurements taken flat: Sh to Sh 16inch/41cm - Ua to Ua 18inch/46cm(x2...Category
1970s French Cocktail Dresses
- Giorgio di Sant' Angelo vintage 1989 documented black stretch net wrap dressBy Giorgio di Sant' AngeloLocated in Antwerpen, Vlaams GewestGiorgio di Sant' Angelo, celebrated for his trailblazing designs, created wrap tops that featured on one of Vogue's most memorable covers. These tops were showcased in the January 19...Category
1980s American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- MORPHEW COLLECTION Lilac Silver Antique Silk Lamé Gown With 1930S CrystalsBy MorphewLocated in New York, NYMORPHEW COLLECTION Lilac Silver Antique Silk Lamé Gown With 1930S Crystals MORPHEW COLLECTION is made entirely by hand in our NYC Ateliér of rare antique materials sourced from arou...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Evening Gowns
- Runway Yves Saint Laurent S/S 1989 Lipstick Red Rayon Jersey Strapless 80s DressBy Yves Saint Laurent, Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in San Diego, CASensational vintage YSL Rive Gauche spring / summer 1989 runway lipstick red rayon jersey strapless 1980s dress ! The same dress was featured on the runway in black. Sash at side wai...Category
1980s French Cocktail Dresses
- Roland Klein black strapless dress with black and white striped trainBy Roland KleinLocated in Austin, TX1980s Roland Klein black strapless dress with black and white train. Acetate fabric. 34" bust, 26" waist, 40" hips, 48" front length - 54 1/2" ba...Category
1980s British Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Black see-though lace on a tulle base Christian DiorBy Christian DiorLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FRBlack see-though lace on a tulle base. Zip in the middle back. SIZE 36 (Fr) 4 (US)Category
Early 2000s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- Yellow evening dress with embroideries and rhinestone Gai Mattiolo Love to LoveBy Gai MattioloLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FRYellow evening dress with thread embroideries and rhinestone on a tulle base. Beige gros-grain ribbon on the shoulder strap and waist. Hook&eye in...Category
2010s Italian Evening Dresses
- Long asymmetrical evening dress with sequin embroideries and tulle Gai MattioloBy Gai MattioloLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FRLong asymmetrical evening dress with sequin embroideries and tulle ajouré. NEW with tag. Zip on the left side. Shorter in the front than in the back. Fabric composition: 56% rayon, 4...Category
Early 2000s Italian Evening Dresses