Gianni Versace silver oroton chainmail metal mesh top, fw 1983
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: FR 38 - IT 42 - UK 10 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU14027602262
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Balmain by Christophe Decarnin black leather safety-pin corset, ss 2011By BalmainLocated in London, GB▪ Balmain black leather safety-pin corset ▪ Designed by Christophe Decarnin ▪ Adorned with silver metal barbell piercings and safety-pins ▪ Patch...Category
2010s French Corsets
- Christian Dior by John Galliano burgundy pleated silk blouse, ss 1999By John Galliano for Christian Dior, Christian DiorLocated in London, GB▪ Christian Dior burgundy pleated blouse ▪ Designed by John Galliano ▪ Mandarin collar ▪ Cheongsam style ▪ Mariano Fortuny style pleats ▪ Gold lamé fastenings ▪ Beaded rope trim...Category
1990s French Blouses
- John Galliano gathered grey blouse, fw 1987By John GallianoLocated in London, GBJohn Galliano very early gathered grey blouse Fall-winter 1987 Measurements: Shoulder to shoulder 18" Waist 34" Bust 48" Length 39" Sleeve 27"Category
1980s British Blouses
- John Galliano navy pinstripe silk shirred blouse and fishtail skirt set, ss 2002By John GallianoLocated in London, GB▪ John Galliano navy and cream silk blouse and skirt set ▪ Deconstructed blouse with shirred detail ▪ Matching mid-length fishtail skirt with black cotton Broderie Anglaise trim at h...Category
Early 2000s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Yohji Yamamoto black wool top made with bellow pockets, fw 1990By Yohji YamamotoLocated in London, GBYohji Yamamoto; Black wool top made with multiple large bellow pockets Fall-Winter 1990Category
1990s Japanese Blouses
- Prada grey jersey evening vest with crystal embellishments, ss 2010By PradaLocated in London, GB▪ Prada grey jersey evening vest ▪ 83% Polyester, 13% Nylon, 4% Other Fibers ▪ Crystal and gem embellishments ▪ Zip back fastening ▪ IT 38 - FR 34 - UK 6 - US 2 ▪ Spring-Summer 2010Category
Early 2000s Italian Blouses
- Giambattista Valli Grey & Black Silk Animal Print Top - 44By Giambattista ValliLocated in West Palm Beach, FLGiambattista Valli Grey & Black Silk Animal Print Top - 44. This blouse is in excellent condition with very light wear. This flowy top features slight pleats...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Blouses
- Oscar de la Renta Bronze Blouse - 12By Oscar De La RentaLocated in West Palm Beach, FLOscar de la Renta Bronze Blouse - 12 This Oscar blouse is made of silk taffeta and is in excellent condition. It is layered in the front with a chevron fabric design. There is als...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Blouses
- Neil Bieff Multi Sequin Masquerade Theme Blouse - M - 1970'sBy Neil BieffLocated in West Palm Beach, FLThe beautiful Neil Bieff blouse from the 1970's and is black with a multi-colored masquerade theme design. It is covered in sequins and has loose sleeves. There is a cinching along t...Category
1970s Blouses
- Saint Laurent Top FR40 Black Suede and Leather SewingBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, Yves Saint LaurentLocated in PARIS, FRYves Saint Laurent top in black suede, round neck, sleeveless, all embroidered with a wide leather tie, 2 small slits at the bottom of the top, zip fastening in the back, black canva...Category
1990s French Blouses
- 1984 Yves Saint Laurent Runway 2 piece Abstract Black Stripe Silk DressBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Portland, ORThis is a really wonderful Yves Saint Laurent vintage 2 piece silk dress that we have documented on the 1984 runway! It has a black and white abstract patterned silk looks almost like zebra stripes! The white sections have tone on tone shiny spots that resemble cheetah spots. YSL loved this print and used it in several different color ways, we have three different versions! The neckline of the blouse is gathered, and looks like it is elastic but is fixed, and the skirt is a wrap style, securing at the waist. This outfit also comes with a matching sash that we have shown as a belt, but can also be worn as a necktie or hair tie! We love that this YSL outfit...Category
1980s European Day Dresses
- Yves Saint Laurent Orange & Black Striped Silk Vintage Blouse With Sash BowBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Portland, ORThis early 1980's YSL vintage blouse is in a luxe silk in an orange and black striped print. Yves Saint Laurent was a prolific designer and he paid attention to even the smallest detail in his pieces. His vintage blouses are some of the most beautiful out there and they fit seamlessly into modern wardrobes. This YSL top...Category
1980s European Blouses
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
This Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen Ensemble Is Part Zsa Zsa Gabor, Part ‘Blade Runner’
As Burton steps away from the brand, it’s a fitting time to revisit one of her visionary designs.
Vivienne Westwood’s Punk Spirit Lives On in This ’90s Tartan Ensemble
The shorts suit in a mash-up of patterns with an asymmetrical cut speaks to the designer’s rebellious spirit.