S/S 1987 Gianni Versace Runway Ad Black Pleated Sheer Slit Silk Gown
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 38IT (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Material Notes:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Light wear from age and use throughout.
- Seller Location:West Hollywood, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2388220761712
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: West Hollywood, CA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- F/W 1994 Dolce & Gabbana Runway Brown Velvet Viscose Maxi Flare Evening GownBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a gorgeous brown velvet Dolce and Gabbana gown. From the Fall/Winter 1994 collection, the blue version of this fabulous gown debuted ...Category
1990s Italian Maxi Dresses
- NWT 1990s Fendi by Karl Lagerfeld Iridescent Red Blue Linen Plunge Beaded DressBy Karl Lagerfeld for Fendi, FendiLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a beautiful iridescent red linen Fendi dress, designed by Karl Lagerfeld. From the 1990s, this dress features a deep neckline, red and black beaded squares at the front, a...Category
1990s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- F/W 2005 Roberto Cavalli Ming Vase Print Studded Purple Flare Chinoiserie GownBy Roberto CavalliLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting an incredible purple and white chinoiserie print Roberto Cavalli gown. From the Fall/Winter 2005 collection, this Asian-inspired print depicting dragons and floral element...Category
Early 2000s Italian Maxi Dresses
- S/S 2005 Gucci Beyoncé Marigold Yellow Ruched Satin Braided Leather Halter DressBy GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a fabulous marigold yellow satin Gucci dress, designed by Alessandra Facchinetti. From the Spring/Summer 2005 collection, this incred...Category
Early 2000s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- S/S 2003 Dolce & Gabbana 'Sex & Love' Runway Sheer Bustier Black DressBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a fabulous black lace Dolce and Gabbana dress. From the Spring/Summer 2003 'Sex & Love' collection, this dress debuted on the s...Category
Early 2000s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- S/S 2003 Gianni Versace by Donatella Runway Eyelet Medusa Stretch DressBy Donatella Versace for Gianni Versace, Gianni Versace CoutureLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a fabulously sexy black Gianni Versace dress, designed by Donatella Versace. From the Spring/Summer 2003 collection, this dress debuted on the season’s runway as part of look 49, modeled by Fernanda Tavares. From the front, this is just a seemingly average little black dress. The back had been amped up in true Donatella Y2K style and features silver-tone rivets at the skirt and cutouts at the back. The cutouts are connected with a small silver-tone Medusa lobster clasps, with the lower one being made complete with a removable large Versace Medusa charm...Category
Early 2000s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- Adolfo Tropical Silk Jersey Strapless Dress with Half CapeletBy AdolfoLocated in New York, NYAdolfo strapless dress with bold green, indigo and white tropical floral print. Wonderfully tailored, with fitted bodice and draped open tulip front slit above the knee for movement...Category
Late 20th Century American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Leonard of Paris Pastel Silk Chiffon Day / Evening DressBy Leonard of ParisLocated in New York, NYPretty pastel silk chiffon Leonard of Paris special occasion day / evening dress. Bodice has a ruffled capelet that flows from the center of the dress...Category
Late 20th Century French Day Dresses
- Leonard of Paris Fuschia Multi Color Silk Chiffon Strapless GownBy Leonard of ParisLocated in New York, NYVintage Leonard of Paris bright and flirty ruffled silk chiffon cocktail dress / evening gown, unmarked size, approximately US 6. Featuring four layer...Category
Late 20th Century French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Antonio Berardi FW-2004 Silk Sleeveless Print DressBy Antonio BerardiLocated in Brussels, BEDespite being born in the UK, Antonio Berardi’s roots are Sicilian ones, explaining his love of drama and femininity. This gorgeous silk dress, which mixes a variety of prints and mo...Category
Early 2000s Italian Day Dresses
- Sonia Rykiel SS-2002 Viscose Mix Flower Print Slip DressBy Sonia RykielLocated in Brussels, BEFlower Power remains an all-time boho statement, and Sonia Rykiel’s career interestingly took off in the early 1970s. Throughout her prolific years as a designer, Rykiel loved going ...Category
Early 2000s French Day Dresses
- Vintage EMANUEL UNGARO Boutique 1980s DAISY Black Parallele PARIS Dress XS/SBy Emanuel UngaroLocated in Asheville, NCUngaro Boutique, Vintage 1980's, Sheer Cotton, Fully Lined, Belted, Straps Tie at Top, Five Round Buttons at Front, 2 Large Front Pockets, Daisy Floral Details on Top, Front and Bott...Category
1980s French Day Dresses