Gianni Versace black pinstripe leather and fox fur trouser suit, fw 1998
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: IT 40 - FR 36 - UK 8 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU140217598592
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.
- Dolce & Gabbana pink floral silk jacket and skirt ensemble, c. 1990sBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GBDolce & Gabbana hot pink silk ensemble with vibrant floral print throughout. Knee length jacket with leopard silk lining. Above the knee length pencil skirt. c. 1990sCategory
1990s Italian Skirt Suits
- Dolce & Gabbana black wool embroidered 3-piece evening ensemble, ss 1999By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GB- Slim fit pants - Vest with built in bra - Obi belt Spring-Summer 1999Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Dolce & Gabbana silk chiffon blouse and skirt pants set, ss 1998By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GB▪ Dolce & Gabbana chiffon set ▪ 90% Silk, 10% Lycra ▪ Loose-fit blouse with large scarf collar ▪ Fitted leggings with attached mini skirt ▪ IT 38 - FR ...Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Dolce & Gabbana coral cropped jacket and mini skirt suit, ss 1992By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GB▪ Dolce & Gabbana coral cropped jacket and mini skirt suit ▪ Viscose, silk and elastane blend ▪ Textured surface ▪ Cropped single-breasted blazer jac...Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Gianni Versace navy blue open-knit bodycon dress and cardigan set, fw 1993By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GB▪ Gianni Versace navy blue open-knit dress and cardigan 2 piece set ▪ Sleeveless bodycon maxi dress with lining ▪ Long-sleeve full-length cardigan ▪ Gold Medusa buttons ▪ Can be wo...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Fendi by Karl Lagerfeld blue and brown cowhide jacket and pants set, fw 1999By Karl Lagerfeld for Fendi, FendiLocated in London, GB▪ Fendi jacket and pants set ▪ Designed by Karl Lagerfeld ▪ Blue and brown cowhide ▪ Long sleeve zip-up jacket ▪ Crystal adornments to the collar ...Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Giorgio Armani Classico Midnight Blue Pinstriped Wool & Silk Suit 5XLBy Giorgio ArmaniLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Nail the formal look in a stylish way with this designer suit from Giorgio Armani. Finely tailored from a silk & wool blend, the set carries a pinstriped design. The blazer features ...Category
2010s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Giorgio Armani Charcoal Grey Wool Suit 5XLBy Giorgio ArmaniLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2This charcoal grey suit from Giorgio Armani is a classic creation meant to elevate your formal look. Made from quality wool, the blazer features notched lapels and three buttons at t...Category
2010s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- 1990s Romeo Gigli Evening Pajama SetBy Romeo GigliLocated in Austin, TX1990s ROMEO GIGLI evening pajama set Crop top and shorts 100% cotton condition: Excellent Size: S | US4, IT40Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- EMPORIO ARMANI Size 42 Taupe Solid Wool Notch Lapel SuitBy EMPORIO ARMANILocated in San Francisco, CAEMPORIO ARMANI suit comes in a taupe wool with a full liner and includes a single breasted, double button sport coat with a notch lapel and matching flat front trousers. Made in Ital...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Trouser Pant Suits
- THE KOOPLES Size 40 Navy Black Herringbone Wool Mohair Tuxedo SuitBy The KooplesLocated in San Francisco, CATHE KOOPLES suit comes in a navy & black herringbone wool / mohair with a full liner includes a single breasted, single button sport coat with a shawl collar and matching flat front ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Trouser Pant Suits
- CALVIN KLEIN COLLECTION Size 38 Black Solid Wool Peak Lapel TuxedoBy Calvin Klein CollectionLocated in San Francisco, CACALVIN KLEIN COLLECTION tuxedo comes in a black wool and includes a single breasted, single button sport coat with a peak lapel and matching flat front trousers. Made in Italy.Very G...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Trouser Pant Suits
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.