Gianni Versace Red Leather Motorcycle Jacket and Skirt A/W 1994
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: XS, S (US)Bust: 40 in (101.6 cm)Waist: 30 in (76.2 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Water Mill, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5114164511
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: Water Mill, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- Adele Simpson Belted Coat and Skirt Set 1960sBy Adele SimpsonLocated in Water Mill, NYA fabulous coat and skirt set from Adele Simpson in off white, burgundy and black plaid wool. The coat has 2 front flap patch pockets, fold back cu...Category
1960s American Coats and Outerwear
- Alaia Purple Coat and Pant Suit 1990sBy Azzedine AlaïaLocated in Water Mill, NYA fabulous eggplant purple long coat and pants set from Azzedine Alaia. The long duster coat has a collar, black metal buttons up the front, padded should...Category
1980s French Trouser Pant Suits
- Valentino New Plunging Halter JumpsuitBy ValentinoLocated in Water Mill, NYA fabulous red silk jumpsuit from Valentino. It has a deep V halter neckline and straight leg pants which have side seam hip pockets and back welt pockets. There is a front zipper ...Category
2010s Italian Jumpsuits
- Lanvin New S/S 2014 Silk JumpsuitBy Alber Elbaz, Lanvin ParisLocated in Water Mill, NYA fabulous red jumpsuit from Lanvin S/S 2014 collection. It wraps at the front creating a V neckline and has full dolman sleeves with stretch at the wri...Category
2010s French Jumpsuits
- Valentino New Silk One Sleeve Jumpsuit with Tie NeckBy ValentinoLocated in Water Mill, NYAn incredible red silk jumpsuit from Valentino. It has one kimono sleeve, a tie at the neck which can be worn a number of ways and wide pant legs. The jumpsuit has an invisible side...Category
2010s Italian Jumpsuits
- Gianni Versace Couture New Pantsuit with Cut outs S/S 1998By Gianni Versace Couture, Gianni VersaceLocated in Water Mill, NYA gorgeous orange light weight wool pant suit from Gianni Versace Couture. The lapel jacket has a front hook closure and lightly padded shoulders. The straight leg mid rise pants have 2 narrow curved...Category
1990s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
- Dolce & Gabbana red stretch-satin coat and skirt set, ss 1999By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GB▪ Dolce & Gabbana coat and skirt set ▪ Red stretch-satin ▪ Mid-length coat with a two-button closure at the bust ▪ Notched lapels ▪ Matching knee...Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Gucci by Tom Ford monogram canvas and leather pant suit, fw 2000By Tom Ford for Gucci, GucciLocated in London, GBGucci by Tom Ford; monogram canvas and tan leather pant suit. Flared high-rise pants with leather waist band and zip closure attaching both legs together....Category
1990s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
- Sonia Rykiel Paris Vintage Beige Wool Trousers Coat and Scarf Pants SuitBy Sonia RykielLocated in Portland, ORThis is a beautiful 3 piece wool ensemble from Sonia Rykiel, Paris. This is a great, versatile outfit that includes a pair of high waist trousers, a wonderful lined long coat with a belt, and a striped scarf. This vintage pants suit...Category
Late 20th Century French Coats and Outerwear
- Vintage White Oversized Opera CoatLocated in Scottsdale, AZAdd a little drama to your wardrobe with our incredible vintage opera coat! You don't need to be headed to the opera to enjoy a piece as amazing as ...Category
1960s American Opera Coats
- Christian Dior John Galliano - Runway Fall/Winter 1999 Coat & Skirt Size 38FRBy John Galliano for Christian DiorLocated in Saint Petersburg, FLChristian Dior - John Galliano Runway Coat with mink fur. The knit skirt is also Dior from the same season Size 38FR - John Galliano for Christian Dior Fall 1999Category
1990s French Skirt Suits
- Christian Dior by John Galliano inside-out leather jacket and skirt set, ss 2003By John Galliano for Christian Dior, Christian DiorLocated in London, GB▪ Christian Dior skirt suit ▪ Creative Director: John Galliano ▪ Spring-Summer 2003 ▪ Inside-out leather jacket with external lining and pockets ▪ Silver buckle adorned with crystal...Category
Early 2000s French Suits, Outfits and Ensembles