Gianni Versace Couture Vintage Halter Neck Knitted Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. A small snag on lower area has been professionaly repaired (see photo 8 / not obvious to our opinion), a few pulled mesh, a few thin vertical "lines" on mesh (lower area, maybe from original manufacturing ? see photos 9 and 10).
- Seller Location:Nice, FR
- Reference Number:
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. 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,” Versace once explained. Instead, he had a sexy good time with fashion — as he did with life. Today, vintage Gianni Versace clothing, handbags and other accessories look astonishingly fresh and freshly relevant.
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 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: Nice, France
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Moschino Vintage Iconic "You Can Dress Me Up..." Bodycon Maxi Dress US Size 10By MoschinoLocated in Nice, FRMOSCHINO vintage rare 1990s iconic "YOU CAN DRESS ME UP BUT YOU CAN'T TAKE ME OUT !" black bodycon maxi dress with flocked lettering. Long sleeves. Label reads MOSCHINO Jeans Made ...Category
20th Century Italian Maxi Dresses
- Moschino Iconic Black Safety Pin Embellished Dress US Size 14By MoschinoLocated in Nice, FRMOSCHINO iconic safety pin embellished black dress as worn by KATE MOSS. Side hidden zipper closure. Label reads MOSCHINO CHEAP AND CHIC. Size tag reads : I 48 / D 44 / F 44 / GB ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Day Dresses
- Moschino Vintage Heart Dress US Size 8By MoschinoLocated in Nice, FRMOSCHINO vintage black dress featuring a large cut-out red velvet heart shaped breast. This dress features : - Black wool blend fabric. -...Category
20th Century Italian Day Dresses
- Thierry Mugler Couture Vintage Iconic Angel Flacon Print Asymetric Halter DressBy Thierry MuglerLocated in Nice, FRTHIERRY MUGLER Couture vintage rare iconic angel flacon print asymetric halter dress. Spaghetti strap. Silver toned hardware. Back zippered closure. Label reads THIERRY MUGLER Cout...Category
20th Century French Day Dresses
- Moschino Jeans Vintage Country Rock Black Tulle Dress US Size 6By MoschinoLocated in Nice, FRMOSCHINO JEANS vintage "COUNTRY ROCK" black tulle dress featuring a tight bustier top with boning and eagle print, tulle skirt with ruffle bottom and...Category
20th Century Italian Day Dresses
- Jean Paul Gaultier Vintage Cotton Sari Size MBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Nice, FRJEAN PAUL GAULTIER vintage cotton sari featuring a gorgeous multicolor print with silver toned frieze patterns. This sari wraps around the body and attaches with straps. There are t...Category
20th Century Italian Tunics and Wrap Dresses
- Jean Paul Gaultier Mesh Nomad Ethnic Tribal Aztec Tattoo Tatouages Indian DressBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in PARIS, FRJean Paul Gaultier JPG Collector Catwalk Mesh Transparent Sheer Nomad Ethnic Tribal Indian Western Aztec Tattoo Tatouages Long Maxi Dress Extremely rare "Tatouages" dress from Jean Paul Gaultier! Museum piece! "Tim Blanks’ Top Fashion Shows of All Time Jean Paul Gaultier, Spring/Summer 1994, October 1993: BoF’s Editor-at-Large journeys back to a show that fused Indian mysticism, 18th century silhouettes...Category
1990s Maxi Dresses
- Henri Bendel 1960s Pink Silk DressBy Henri BendelLocated in Alford, MA1960s medium-weight silk shift dress in a beautiful shade of pink. The construction features a yoke at top that extends over the shoulders to form cap sleeves. The simple straight sh...Category
1960s American Shift Dresses
- Vintage Missoni 2pc Dress Purple & Copper Metallic Ruffled Top & Tiered SkirtBy MissoniLocated in Portland, ORThis is a wonderful vintage 1970's Missoni for Saks Fifth Avenue purple knit with metallic bronze lurex details. We love this outfit because you can wear each of the pieces separatel...Category
1970s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Red Camouflage Dress Pink Lurex Silk Patch Work Vintage DesignerBy J DAUPHINLocated in Los Angeles, CADesigner J Dauphin Repurposed Vintage US Military Camouflage Dress with Pink Silk and Red Satin. Gold tone vintage Brass Military Vintage Buttons fr...Category
2010s American Mini Dresses
- Red Camouflage Dress Pink Lurex Silk Patch Work Vintage DesignerBy J DAUPHINLocated in Los Angeles, CADesigner J Dauphin Repurposed Vintage US Military Camouflage Dress with Pink Silk and Red Satin. Gold tone vintage Brass Military Vintage Buttons fr...Category
2010s American Mini Dresses
- Alexander McQueen 2009 Futuristic Crystalized Print Sheath Dress -newBy Alexander McQueenLocated in Los Angeles, CAAlexander Mcqueen's Spring 2009 collection showcases the romantic, ethereal and purist side of the designer in his effort to send his message regarding the evolution of the world in ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Sheath Dresses