Who was the real founder of Versace?

The real founder of Versace was Gianni Versace. He was born in Calabria, Italy, in 1948. His mother was a successful dressmaker who employed more than 40 seamstresses. As a child, Gianni marveled at her workshop, which would become a university of sorts, where he learned the exceptional construction techniques that would be the foundation of his work. In 1972, at the age of 25, he moved to Milan to work in fashion. He launched his first collection and label in 1978, with his older brother Santo managing the business concerns. Soon, his sister Donatella joined the family venture, where she has had a creative role and managed enormously popular ready-to-wear lines such as Versus. On 1stDibs, find a collection of Versace apparel and accessories.

Gianni Versace 1997

1997 Fashion

Versace Leather Dress

Versace Runway Vintage

Materials

Paper

Materials

Blown Glass

Versace Blue Floral Gown With Beaded Appliques

$12,500

Versace Blue Floral Gown With Beaded Appliques

By Versace

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Gianni Versace’s Spring/Summer 1997 collection, for example, featured colorful abstract floral prints alongside fluid jersey and sheer fabrics, while the house’s Spring 2004 collecti...

Materials

Lambda

Slim Aarons'Home Waters' 1983 Slim Aarons Limited Estate Edition, 1983 (Printed Later)

$3,600

'Home Waters' 1983 Slim Aarons Limited Estate Edition

Sold

Sold

Size: 40

vintage GIANNI VERSACE 1997 purple leather fur trim strapless mini dress IT40

By Gianni Versace

Located in Hong Kong, NT

vintage GIANNI VERSACE 1997 purple leather fur trim strapless mini dress IT40 Reference: GIYG/A00024 Brand: Gianni Versace Designer: Gianni Versace Collection: Fall Winter 1997 - Run...

Category

1990s Italian Cocktail Dresses

Gianni Versace 1997 Swarovski Crystal Set

Sold

Gianni Versace 1997 Swarovski Crystal Set

By Gianni Versace Couture, Gianni Versace

Located in Norwich, GB

Gianni Versace cropped top and skirt ensemble, from the Fall/Winter 1997 collection.

Category

1990s Italian Skirt Suits

Men's GIANNI VERSACE 1997 vintage off white ivory printed shirt

Sold

Size: IT46

Men's GIANNI VERSACE 1997 vintage off white ivory printed shirt

By Gianni Versace

Located in Leonardo, NJ

Gianni Versace Vintage '97 Off White (sometimes looks ivory) Silver Medusa Buttons Semi-Sheer Ivy Print IT46 NWT's Final Sale

Category

1990s Shirts

Gianni Versace Rosenthal Christmas Plate 1997 “Navité”

Sold

H 1.58 in Dm 12.01 in

Gianni Versace Rosenthal Christmas Plate 1997 “Navité”

By Rosenthal, Gianni Versace

Located in Bastogne, BE

Limited edition collectible Christmas plate in 24k gold plated porcelain. Manufacturer: Rosenthal Studio -Linie, Porcelain, Germany. A rare 1997 Christmas design from Versace -...

Category

1990s German Dinner Plates

Materials

Porcelain

H 29 in W 70 in D 28 in

Gianni Versace Upholstered Knole Suite, 7 Pc

By Gianni Versace

Located in Astoria, NY

Gianni Versace (Italian, 1946-1997) upholstered suite comprising a Knole sofa with two loose seat cushions, two Knole armchairs with loose seat cushions, two ottomans with removable ...

Category

Late 20th Century Italian Regency Revival Furniture

Materials

Metal

Atelier Versace Leather, Net and Crystal Gown, 1997

Sold

Size: 2

Atelier Versace Leather, Net and Crystal Gown, 1997

By Gianni Versace

Located in New York, NY

From Gianni Versace's last collection. This is an Atelier versace gown which is a sample made for clients to place orders. Versace made many looks which were not shown on the runway ...

Category

1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns

Gianni Versace Venini Vase

Sold

H 15.75 in Dm 6.3 in

Gianni Versace Venini Vase

By Paolo Venini, Gianni Versace

Located in Dronten, NL

The brand's iconic Medusa logo became a symbol of luxury and decadence. Tragically, Gianni Versace was murdered in 1997, leaving a void in the fashion world.

Category

Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Vases

Materials

Murano Glass

$9,500

By Dolce & Gabbana

Located in Baar, CH

Iconic Dolce & Gabbana Vintage Red Tipped Black Fox Fur Jacket from the F/W 1999 runway collection Collection: Fall 1999 Size: M ( Suitable for US : 4 / 6 / 8 / Condition: Very...

Category

1990s Italian Jackets

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Gianni Versace 1997 For Sale on 1stDibs

On 1stDibs, you can find the most appropriate vintage or contemporary gianni versace 1997 for your needs in our varied inventory. Black is a pretty popular color, but we also have Gray, Brown, Yellow and more in stock now. Finding the perfect gianni versace 1997 may mean sifting through those that were made during different time periods — popular versions were made as early as the 20th Century and a newer one, made as recently as the 21st Century, can also be found on the site. An accessory like this designed by Gianni Versace, Gianni Versace Couture and Versace — each of whom created a beautiful version of this treasured item — is worth considering. When shopping for these accessories, you’ll find that there are less available pieces for men or unisex today than there are for women.

How Much is a Gianni Versace 1997?

On average, a gianni versace 1997 on 1stDibs sells for $5,723, while they’re typically $349 on the low end and $89,000 for the highest priced versions of this item.

Gianni Versace for sale on 1stDibs

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.

Finding the Right Clothing for You

Start building your collection of covetable and iconic vintage clothing today — no matter where you roam, there is a curated selection of designer dresses and gowns, sweaters, shirts, dazzling shoes and more on 1stDibs that will keep you covered in the hottest styles from head to toe.

From elegant museum-worthy vintage Chanel dresses and jackets to audacious T-shirts and trousers from provocative punk designer Vivienne Westwood, one thing is abundantly clear: If the clothing for sale on 1stDibs could talk, it would certainly make a statement.

For fashion lovers, the 1990s have become associated with styles adopted by today’s supermodels and influencers — think John Galliano and Roberto Cavalli — but maybe ‘80s accessories are among your (guilty?) pleasures.

Playful, boldly colored coats and outerwear from Moschino, Ralph Lauren and other titans of the era can take a simpler ensemble to the next level, while chic and practical suits from the likes of Christian Dior and Balmain endure for haute couture advocates and beyond.

And vintage is the name of the game on today’s red carpets, too. Celebrity stylists are turning to archival pieces created by the likes of Bob Mackie, Thierry Mugler and Jean-Paul Gaultier as alternatives to new gowns plucked straight off the runway. Wearing such sought-after items gives celebrities instant allure and suggests a personal style that’s not only achingly glamorous but intellectually informed and influenced by a love of craftsmanship.

Those seeking contemporary luxury looks and in-demand street-style fits can indulge in designs by Bottega Veneta, Miu Miu and Loro Piana, while pieces from Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Versace endure as examples of fashion’s most covetable goods.

The future — and glamorous past — of fashion is yours for the wearing. Find vintage clothing and accessories for sale on 1stDibs, including designs by Balenciaga, Valentino, Celine, Loewe and more.

Questions About Gianni Versace

Who was the real founder of Versace?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertOctober 15, 2024
The real founder of Versace was Gianni Versace. He was born in Calabria, Italy, in 1948. His mother was a successful dressmaker who employed more than 40 seamstresses. As a child, Gianni marveled at her workshop, which would become a university of sorts, where he learned the exceptional construction techniques that would be the foundation of his work. In 1972, at the age of 25, he moved to Milan to work in fashion. He launched his first collection and label in 1978, with his older brother Santo managing the business concerns. Soon, his sister Donatella joined the family venture, where she has had a creative role and managed enormously popular ready-to-wear lines such as Versus. On 1stDibs, find a collection of Versace apparel and accessories.