Gianni Versace gold metal mesh chainmail evening dress, fw 1994
View Similar Items
Gianni Versace gold metal mesh chainmail evening dress, fw 1994
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: FR 38 - IT 42 - UK 10 - US 6 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU14028414862
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.
- John Galliano grey checked Blanche Dubois bustled coat dress, ss 1988By John GallianoLocated in London, GBJohn Galliano London; grey Prince of Wales check coat dress. Bustled skirt falling in polonaise drapes, gathering into a band at the hem, can be button...Category
1980s British Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Vivienne Westwood 'Voyage to Cythera' harlequin leggings and shirt set, fw 1989By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GBVivienne Westwood harlequin ensemble. Loose fit cotton shirt and high waist fitted leggings. ''Voyage to Cythera'' Fall-Winter 1989Category
1980s British Trouser Pant Suits
- Vivienne Westwood 'Cut, Slash & Pull' blue voile oversized shirt dress, ss 1991By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GBVivienne Westwood; dusty blue cotton voile oversized blouse with large bishop sleeves, pointed collar, and ascending hemline from front. Signature slashes throughout the whole blouse...Category
1990s British Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Jean Louis Scherrer haute couture purple lame brocade evening gown, f/w 2005By Jean-Louis ScherrerLocated in London, GB- Poet sleeves - Jewel encrusted buttons and belt buckle broach - Silk lining Haute Couture, Autumn-Winter 2005Category
Early 2000s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Alexander McQueen Sequin and lace tulle flapper dress, fw 2001By Alexander McQueenLocated in London, GB- Sequins on black mesh - Full skirt made from silver and black lace tulle Autumn-Winter 2001Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Alexander McQueen lilac wool button-up sweater dress, fw 1996By Alexander McQueenLocated in London, GB▪ Alexander McQueen lilac wool sweater dress ▪ Turtleneck ▪ Opening across bust line fastening with multiple buttons ▪ Pleated seam at centre-back ▪ Worn ...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- New LANVIN Duchesse Satin Vintage Gray Long Wedding Celebrity Gown US 2 4 FR 36By Lanvin ParisLocated in Goshen, KYSize: French 36 Brand: LANVIN Color: Light Dove Gray Season: Vintage Features: Strapless sweetheart neckline Draped detail throughout Ruffle detail at side Belt at waist Long leng...Category
2010s Wedding Dresses
- Vintage 1950's Pink Swirling Satin & Tulle Dress UK 6 US 2Located in Cheltenham, GBThis iconic 1950's dress, rendered in layers of pink tulle, with delicate circular satin details, is just the piece for that special occasion. The strapless cut of the dress, featu...Category
1950s Cocktail Dresses
- Sass & Bide Silk Crepe 3 Way Maxi Harness Bustier Dress AU 8 US 2Located in PUTNEY, NSWDress Crepe Embellished Contrasting trims SilkCategory
Early 2000s Australian Cocktail Dresses
$214 Sale Price24% Off - EMPORIO ARMANI black and white sequin dress SS2007By EMPORIO ARMANI EA7Located in Paris, FRTag EMPORIO ARMANI Size M ( IT42 ) Length 95cm Chest 39cm Waist 36cm 100% silk Lining 100% polyester Perfect condition Some sequins are missing on the back, but you can sew...Category
Early 2000s Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Blumarine, Strapless draped dressBy BlumarineLocated in AMSTERDAM, NLBlumarine, Strapless draped dress in grey. This item is new - unworn. With zipper on the side • CONDITION: new - unworn • SIZE: IT40 - XS • MEASUREM...Category
2010s Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Versace Jeans Couture floral print open back silk dress, early 2000sBy Versace Jeans Couture, Gianni VersaceLocated in Milano, ITVersace Jeans Couture floral print open back silk dress, ealry 2000s - Versace jeans couture floral print silk dress - Sold by Skof.Archive - Des...Category
Early 2000s Italian Evening Gowns
$785 Sale Price40% OffFree Shipping
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
This Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen Ensemble Is Part Zsa Zsa Gabor, Part ‘Blade Runner’
As Burton steps away from the brand, it’s a fitting time to revisit one of her visionary designs.
Vivienne Westwood’s Punk Spirit Lives On in This ’90s Tartan Ensemble
The shorts suit in a mash-up of patterns with an asymmetrical cut speaks to the designer’s rebellious spirit.