Gianni Versace Couture Vintage 1990s Ombre Pastel Silk Sheath Dress
View Similar Items
Gianni Versace Couture Vintage 1990s Ombre Pastel Silk Sheath Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Style:90s (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Sparks, NV
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU386568292
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.
- Vintage 1930s 30s Sheer Lace Wedding Maxi Dress with Matching Bolero JacketLocated in Sparks, NVVintage 1930's ivory lace maxi dress with a matching bolero jacket and side snap closure. A perfect vintage wedding dress! DETAILS: Unlin...Category
1930s American Wedding Dresses
$350 Sale Price29% Off - Richilene Vintage 1960s Brocade Cocktail DressBy Richeline, RichileneLocated in Sparks, NVVintage 1960s floral brocade cocktail dress with a drop waist by Richilene. Unlined with rear metal zip and hook closure. Fits like a modern siz...Category
1950s American Tea Gowns
- Heavy Beaded and Sequin Flowers Vintage White Wool Knit Dress, 1960sLocated in Sparks, NVGorgeous and heavy hand-beaded and sequin wool knit dress. Unlined. Back metal zip and hook closure. Fabric contains some stretch. Details: Unlined Back Metal Zip Closure Cir...Category
1960s Cocktail Dresses
- 1960s Sandra Sage Vintage Cream Nude Illusion Lace + Silk Chiffon DressBy Sandra SageLocated in Sparks, NVDelicate creamy silk chiffon dress with a sheer blush lace bodice, long sleeves and a deep-V nude illusion lining by Sandra Sage. Partially lined with rear...Category
1960s American Wedding Dresses
- 1950s Vintage Wool Scoop Neck Cocktail Dress with Metallic Floral EmbroideryLocated in Sparks, NVFlattering vintage 1950s light weight wool cocktail dress with a scoop neck, metallic floral embroidery and back train. Unlined with rear metal zi...Category
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
- Vintage 1950's 50s Black Lace Nude Illusion Bombshell Wiggle Cocktail DressLocated in Sparks, NVThe perfect little black dress! Tiny nipped waist, V-neckline, and nude illusion peek-a-boo lace accents on the bodice. Short sleeves and hourglass silhouette. Rear metal zip closure...Category
1950s American Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1930's Cartwright Ivory Striped Silk Rayon Cut-Out Maxi Dress & JacketLocated in Beverly Hills, CAThe vibrant rainbow-stripe used on this ivory silk rayon 1930's "Cartwright" designer dress ensemble has a whimsical allure that I find irresistible. The sleeveless bodice has a flir...Category
1930s American Aesthetic Day Dresses
- Vintage 1950's Anne Verdi Champagne Sequin Lace & Tulle Bustle Back Bridal DressLocated in Beverly Hills, CAEthereal 1950's Anne Verdi designer champagne lace hourglass cocktail dress from the Old Hollywood era of glamour! The fabric itself is a masterpiece; high-...Category
1950s American Wedding Dresses
- Luca Luca Size 44 US 12 / 14 Embroidered Cotton + Linen Pastel Halter DressBy LUCA LUCALocated in San Diego, CAChic LUCA LUCA halter dress! Soft cotton and linen blend. Embroidered flowers and leaves printed throughout. Beautiful pastel colors in yellow, green, orange and brown throughout. Fu...Category
Early 2000s Italian Cocktail Dresses
$636 Sale Price20% Off - 1960s Yellow + Pink + Green Flower Power Cotton Vintage 60s Scooter Dress TwiggyLocated in San Diego, CASuper chic vintage yellow, green, pink, purple and white daisy flower print cotton skooter dres! Features a nice tailored bodice with a pleated flat...Category
1960s American Cocktail Dresses
$491 Sale Price25% Off - Incredible 1940s Nylon Jersey Swing Dress In A Spectacular Chartreuse and FloralLocated in Gresham, ORAn incredible 1940s iconic swing style dress with uber 1940s styling details: square-cut neckline that begs for some coordinating dress clips, high structured shoulder pads for that ...Category
1940s American Cocktail Dresses
- A French Printed Chiffon Couture Dress Circa 1930/1940Located in Toulon, FRCirca 1930/1940 France An Anonymous Haute Couture shawl and dress in silk crepe printed voile with fruit in shades of pink, orange and brown dating fro...Category
1930s French Evening Dresses