1993 Runway Gianni Versace Couture Floral Column Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Dimensions:Length: 49.5 in (125.73 cm)Bust: 38 in (96.52 cm)Waist: 33 in (83.82 cm)Hip: 41 in (104.14 cm)
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU55022480682
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: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- 1940s Novelty Ship Print Pastel Coloured Rayon DressLocated in London, GBThis charming 1940s pastel toned shirt dress is in beautiful vintage condition and has a feminine, contemporary aesthetic. The light rayon fabric has an impressionist style novelty print depicting riverside scenes with sailing boats and pasture land in soft grey, pale lilac, jade and turquoise. The calf-length dress is long sleeved with a low plunging wrap over bodice, a wide set lapel collar and forwards facing yolk on the shoulders under which the fabric is gently gathered. It is a loose fitting shift cut with a seam to mark the waistband, and could be worn loose or drawn in with a belt if desired. There is no lining and a zip fastening at the centre reverse. This lovely dress is superbly adaptable and could transform as evening wear with the correct accessories. Would fit up to a US size 8, UK size 12...Category
1940s American Formal Wear
- 1987 Yves Saint Laurent Pink Cotton Braque Dove DressBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in London, GBInspired by artist Georges Braque's dove lithographs and often sketched by Yves himself, the dove of peace has long been a signature motif of the Saint Laurent fashion house. Flying ...Category
1980s Casual Dresses
- 1950s Jonelle Orange Rose Print Cotton Maxi DressLocated in London, GBFounded in 1937, “Jonelle” was the trade name of textiles created by Cavendish Textiles and was a quality affair with fabric supplied to the top department stores and fashion houses ...Category
1950s Maxi Dresses
- 1970s André Courrèges Haute Couture Polka Dot Cotton DressBy André CourrègesLocated in London, GBIn 1961, after ten years honing his craft under Cristóbal Balenciaga, Andre Courrèges launched his own fashion house. Today his namesake brand is being revived under the creative dir...Category
1970s Casual Dresses
- 1950s Blue Floral Cotton Rose Print Maxi DressLocated in London, GBGreat example of a full length late 1950s to early 1960s day dress, this pretty piece is in pristine vintage condition. Tailored from breezy cotton patterned with a vibrant aqua flor...Category
1950s Cocktail Dresses
- 1940s White Satin Wedding Dress with TrainLocated in London, GBThis enchanting 1940s satin wedding gown was retailed by “Bourne & Hollingsworth” and refers to the luxury department store that used to sit on Oxford Street in central London. The o...Category
1940s British Vintage Bridal Gowns
- Comme Des Garçons Button-up Black Chiffon Shirt DressBy Comme des GarçonsLocated in Berlin, BEComme Des Garçons Button-up Black Shirt Dress Brand: Comme Des Garçons Designer: Rei Kawakubo Collection/Year: 2000s Fabric: Cotton / Chiffon Color: Black Size: XS Japanese desig...Category
2010s Japanese Casual Dresses
- Vintage 1920's Gold Beaded Sequin Dress Flapper Dress UK 6-8 US 2-4Located in Cheltenham, GBFull of opulent original details, rendered in the most luxurious fashion, this rare 1920's piece is a beauty to behold and never again find. The rounded neckline of the dress, is fr...Category
1920s European Cocktail Dresses
- Vintage 1920's Black Silk Chiffon Beaded Bow Dress UK 12 US 8Located in Cheltenham, GBFull of opulent original details, rendered in the most luxurious fashion, this rare 1920's piece is a beauty to behold. On a base of black silk chiffon and embellished with glass bea...Category
1920s European Cocktail Dresses
- Vintage Late 1950's Black Christian Dior Dress UK 8 US 4By Christian DiorLocated in Cheltenham, GBThis collectible and rare late 1950's Christian Dior dress, rendered in a deep black wool crepe, showcases the iconic silhouette of the era, whilst remaining to this day a classic an...Category
1950s European Cocktail Dresses
- Chanel Resort 2013 DressBy ChanelLocated in Brooklyn, NYBehold this exquisite Chanel pale pink dress, a radiant gem plucked from the illustrious resort 2013 collection, as famously showcased on the elegant runway by none other than the ca...Category
2010s Day Dresses
- Versace Spring 1996 dressBy Gianni Versace CoutureLocated in Brooklyn, NYBeautiful Gianni Versace Couture 60s inspired cream dress from Spring Summer 1996 collection. The dress is knee length, with thin adjustable belts including classic Versace...Category
1990s Day Dresses