Versace Revealing Gray Silk Plisse Pleated Cocktail Dress, Fall 2006
View Similar Items
Versace Revealing Gray Silk Plisse Pleated Cocktail Dress, Fall 2006
About the Item
Versace
Subversive, maximalist and unabashedly seductive, Gianni Versace’s (1946–97) designs infused high fashion with an entirely new ethos. “I don’t believe in good taste,” the legendary Italian couturier once explained. Instead, he had a sexy good time with fashion — as he did with life. Today, vintage Versace clothing, handbags and other accessories look astonishingly fresh and freshly relevant.
More than any designer before him, Versace mined celebrity, music and Pop art for inspiration. In fact, 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! '90” — the moment when the two worlds of fashion and pop culture became one, changing both forever.
Versace was born in Reggio di 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, Versace 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 — and Gianni Versace Couture, which debuted in 1989 — 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. This 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 Versace evening dresses, handbags, day dresses, accessories and more on 1stDibs.
- 1930s Monochrome Chevron Pattern Tulle DressLocated in London, GBThis is a very unusual and original 1930s tulle dress and reminds me of the work of the great American designer Elizabeth Hawes. This dress is unlabel...Category
1930s American Maxi Dress
- Marchesa Ruffle Embellished Wedding Dress XSBy MarchesaLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2With the embroidery and exquisite detailing this ethereal floor-sweeping wedding dress comes fro the house of Marchesa. The strapless bodice is accentuated with soft ruffle detail an...Category
2010s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Peter Pilotto Silk Digital Abstract Printed Kaftan Maxi Dress ( One Size )By Peter PilottoLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2An excellent balance of comfort and style, this dress is a closet staple. From the house of Peter Pilotto from the Resort 2016 collection, this dress, designed in a kaftan style, is ...Category
2010s Unknown Maxi Dress
$256 Sale Price75% Off - Peter Pilotto Multicolor Digital Print Belted Sheath Dress MBy Peter PilottoLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Designed by Peter Pilotto, this sheath dress was launched as part of the Fall 2013 collection. Featuring a digital print, the multicolor creation comes with a belted detail, short sl...Category
2010s British Sheath Dresses
- Tadashi Shoji White Crochet and Tulle Fishtail Gown MBy Tadashi ShojiLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Sway like a dream in this evening gown from Tadashi Shoji. Tailored to perfection, the grand gown brings the elegance of crochet coupled with a feminine silhouette. It has a back zip...Category
2010s American Evening Gowns
- Balmain Monochrome Houndstooth Jacquard Mini Dress MBy BalmainLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Add this classic, houndstooth print mini dress from Balmain to your closet and fetch nothing but praise. It is tailored into a structured silhouette using jacquard fabric and feature...Category
2010s French Evening Dresses