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 Vintage 2000s Y2K Gold Logo Medusa Head Dangle Pierced Earrings
By Gianni Versace
Located in San Diego, CA
Iconic never worn GIANNI VERSACE gold Medusa head embossed dangle pierced back earrings. Each earring features 6 discs. Pierced back. Can easily be dressed up or down. In great unwor...
1990s Gianni Versace Silver Rhinestone Drop Clip on Earrings
By Gianni Versace
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Presenting a pair of silver-tone rhinestone-covered Gianni Versace earrings. From the 1990s, these circular clip-on earrings are covered in shimmery rhinestones and made complete wit...
Interchangeable Earrings in Sterling with Blue Topaz Baguettes
By Martha Seely
Located in Carlisle, MA
The Interchangeable Earring Ensembles are the foundation of the Lyra Collection. Lightweight and playful, this ensemble consists of the huggie ...
Topaz, Blue Topaz, Sterling Silver
6.65 Carat Diamond Emerald 18 Karat White Gold Earrings
By Meghna Jewels
Located in Hoffman Estate, IL
These beautiful earrings are handcrafted in 18-karat white gold. It is set in 6.65 carats emerald and 1.70 carats of sparkling diamonds. FOLLOW MEGHNA JEWELS storefront to view the ...
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
$2,800
W 0.75 in L 1.88 in
2.25 Carat Diamond Topaz Smoky Quartz Earrings Estate of Writer Jackie Collins
Located in New York, NY
This is a stunning pair of two inch jeweled pendant earrings from the estate of legendary Hollywood writer Jackie Collins. The earrings with fancy oval cut Smoky Quartz of 3/4 inche...
Diamond, Quartz, Topaz, 14k Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold
Lagos 18 Karat Yellow Gold Ear Clips with Cabochon Amethyst and Citrine
By Lagos
Located in New York, NY
Crafted by Lagos in 18 karat yellow gold, these ear clips feature a cabochon Amethyst and Citrine in each ear. The earrings are clip on, but a post may be added for pierced ears. The...
Amethyst, Citrine, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
$410 / set
H 2.01 in W 0.79 in D 0.88 in L 2.01 in
Dangle Earrings in Sterling Silver, 14 Karat Ear Wire with Akoya Pearls
By Martha Seely
Located in Carlisle, MA
These pearl earrings are a modern classic. They are Medium Spiral Dangle Earrings from the Orbit collection with sterling silver spirals, a 21 gauge 14karat yellow gold ear wire...
Pearl, Sterling Silver, 14k Gold
$7,500 / item
Lavender Quartz Waterfall Earrings in 18k White Gold
By Karma El Khalil
Located in New York, NY
Ethereal Ombre Lavender Waterfall Earrings in 18k white gold, featuring ten graduating custom-cut cabochons of Lavender Quartz. Each earring displays five cabochons of lavender quartz gracefully decending in to a single trillion-cut blue-violet Iolite point. 18k White Gold Lavender Quartz : 36.65cts Iolite : 0.19cts From Karma El Khalil's Conversations With The Moon Collection
Iolite, Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
$7,300 / item
Aquamarine Drop Earrings 18k White Gold
By Karma El Khalil
Located in New York, NY
Aquamarine Drop Earrings in 18K White Gold featuring Custom-Cut Pear Drops of Shimmering Aquamarine Aquamarine: 13.11cts 18k White Gold: 5.78g From Karma El Khalil's Conversations With The Moon Collection...
Aquamarine, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
$310
H 2.01 in W 0.79 in D 0.88 in L 2.01 in
Dangle Earrings with Baroque Tahitian Pearl Earrings in Sterling Silver
By Martha Seely
Located in Carlisle, MA
The Medium Spiral Dangle Earrings are rafted from argentium sterling, and feature 20 gauge ear wires and captivating baroque Tahitian pearls. Unlike traditional round pearls, baroque...
Pearl, Sterling Silver
Dangle Earrings in Sterling Silver with Akoya Pearls
By Martha Seely
Located in Carlisle, MA
These pearl earrings are a modern classic. They are Medium Spiral Dangle Earrings from the Orbit collection with sterling silver spirals, a 20 gauge ear wire and a lustrous, 7-8.5mm ...
Pearl, Sterling Silver
Meghna Jewels 14K Gold Turquoise & Diamond Drop Earrings, 9.5ct
By Meghna Jewels
Located in Hoffman Estate, IL
Handcrafted from 14-karat gold, these beautiful earrings are set with 9.5 carats Turquoise and .64 carats of glimmering diamonds. FOLLOW MEGHNA JEWELS storefront to view the latest...
Diamond, Turquoise, Gold, White Gold, 14k Gold
$18,779
W 0.63 in D 0.63 in L 2.33 in
Big Double Face Pink Opal Diamonds Drop with Pear Cut Diamonds Evening Earrings
By Angeletti
Located in Roma, IT
Big Double Face Pink Opal and Diamonds Drop with Pear Cut Diamonds Evening Earrings. Exceptional Reversible Earrings with a Unique Spring Hand...
Diamond, Opal, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Ammanii Key Earrings with Ankh Amulet in Vermeil Gold
By Ammanii
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
These Key earrings are masterfully handcrafted from sterling silver base with 18k yellow gold plating, in a satin finish with high grade hand set Cubic Zi...
Zircon, 18k Gold, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
Ammanii Vermeil Gold Drop Earrings with Freshwater Pearls and Tassels
By Ammanii
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Part of our new collection Malikat = Queens. Inspired by the ruling females of ancient Egypt. Queen Nefertari means "Beautiful Companion"- These stunning statement earrings are an ode to her reign and the legacy to dare to set out of the box. Hand crafted vermeil gold with hand set clear zircon...
Zircon, Freshwater Pearl, Vermeil
$4,850
H 2.01 in W 0.79 in D 0.89 in L 2.01 in
Dangle Earrings in Gold with Rough Aquamarines and Pave Diamonds
By Martha Seely
Located in Carlisle, MA
The award winning Ceres Earrings from the Orbit collection in 14k yellow gold, with hammer- cut aquamarines and 35 tiny pave diamonds on each spiral (70 per earring) that surrounds ...
Diamond, Aquamarine, Gold, 14k Gold
Horus Earrings by Ammanii in Vermeil Gold with Long Tassels
By Ammanii
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
We envisioned the deity son Horus honoring his mother Goddess Isis through this beautiful earring. Part of our Malikat = Queens collection- an homage to the queens of ancient Egypt. ...
Zircon, Vermeil
Versace 1980s Ugo Correani Geometric Clip-On Earrings
By Gianni Versace
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Get some Versace in your life! Circa 1980s, these silver tone earrings are the product of Ugo Correani who worked alongside Gianni Versace to create costume jewelry. They feature a g...