1990S GIANNI VERSACE Pastel & Black Wool Blend Sateen Tropical Floral Dress Wit
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Length: 35 in (88.9 cm)Marked Size: M (US)Bust: 37 in (93.98 cm)Waist: 34 in (86.36 cm)Hip: 38 in (96.52 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- 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: New York, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- 1950S PEGGY HUNT Black & Red Silk Taffeta Chantilly Lace Cocktail DressBy Peggy HuntLocated in New York, NYSome fading on the shoulder but otherwise in perfect shape. 1950S PEGGY HUNT Black & Red Silk Taffeta Chantilly Lace Cocktail DressCategory
1950s American Day Dresses
- 1990S JUNYA WATANABE FOR COMME DES GARCONS Black Polyester Chiffon AsymmetricalLocated in New York, NY1990S JUNYA WATANABE FOR COMME DES GARCONS Black Polyester Chiffon Asymmetrical Avant Garde Draped DressCategory
1990s Japanese Day Dresses
- 1980S ANDRE LAUG Haute Couture Silk Chiffon Cocktail Dress In Shades Of Blues WBy André LaugLocated in New York, NY1980S ANDRE LAUG Haute Couture Silk Chiffon Cocktail Dress In Shades Of Blues With Sheer SleevesCategory
1980s Italian Day Dresses
- 1980S AZZEDINE ALAIA Sexy Open Back DressLocated in New York, NY1980S AZZEDINE ALAIA Sexy Open Back DressCategory
1980s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- 1980S AZZEDINE ALAIA Navy Blue Rayon Jersey Body-Con Cocktail DressBy Azzedine AlaïaLocated in New York, NY1980S AZZEDINE ALAIA Navy Blue Rayon Jersey Body-Con Cocktail DressCategory
1980s Italian Day Dresses
- 1970S FIORELLA Italian Jersey Boho Dress With TasselsLocated in New York, NY1970S FIORELLA Italian Jersey Boho Dress With TasselsCategory
1970s Italian Day Dresses
- Jean Paul Gaultier JPG Soleil Golden Eagle Hawk Kendall Jenner Skirt Top SetBy Jean Paul Gaultier Soleil, Jean Paul GaultierLocated in PARIS, FRJean Paul Gaultier JPG Soleil Vintage Japanese Golden Eagle Koi Fish Kendall Jenner Wave Yellow Mesh Sheer Transparent Wrap T-shirt Skirt Top Dress Golden Japanese Eagle...Category
1990s Maxi Dresses
- Lanvin long velvet dress 60s/70sBy Lanvin ParisLocated in Rubiera, RELANVIN 22. Faubourg St. Honoré _ PARIS 60s/70s Long printed velvet dress with large shocking pink and ruby red roses on a brown and gray background Round ne...Category
1970s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Azzedine Alaia navy knitted virgin wool bodycon hooded dress, fw 1986By Azzedine AlaïaLocated in London, GB▪ Azzedine Alaia knitted virgin wool dress ▪ Single zip fastening circles the body starting at the right hip and ending at the left breast ▪ Integral hood with scarf ending on one si...Category
1980s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Christian Dior by John Galliano blue open-knit sleeveless bodycon dress, ss 2000By John Galliano for Christian Dior, Christian DiorLocated in London, GB▪ Christian Dior blue open-knit bodycon dress ▪ Designed by John Galliano ▪ Crew neck ▪ Knee-length ▪ Various knitted techniques used to create a shredded appearance to the fabric ▪...Category
Early 2000s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Miu Miu by Miuccia Prada green wool fleece slip dress with crystals, ss 1998By Prada, Miu MiuLocated in London, GB▪ Miu Miu wool fleece slip dress ▪ Designed by Miuccia Prada ▪ Allover flat-back crystals ▪ Lace-up ties to the front opening ▪ Loose fit ▪ Fully line...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Martin Margiela artisanal dress made from reclaimed vintage dresses, fw 1993By Maison Martin MargielaLocated in London, GB▪ Rare Martin Margiela artisanal maxi dress ▪ Made from a patchwork of damaged 1940s dresses sourced by the designer at the flea markets in Paris ▪ Small - Medium ▪ Fall-Winter 1993 ...Category
1990s French Day Dresses