Gianni Versace black wool double strap playsuit with gold crystal studs, ss 1992
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: IT 38 - FR 34 - UK 6 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU140213234912
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: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Dolce & Gabbana tiger print and denim 3-piece skirt suit, fw 1999By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GB▪ Dolce & Gabbana 3-piece skirt suit ▪ Fitted jacket in black denim with red contrast topstitch ▪ Bra-top with open back and tiger-print front with sequins ▪ Low-rise maxi skirt w...Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Gianni Versace navy blue open-knit bodycon dress and cardigan set, fw 1993By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GB▪ Gianni Versace navy blue open-knit dress and cardigan 2 piece set ▪ Sleeveless bodycon maxi dress with lining ▪ Long-sleeve full-length cardigan ▪ Gold Medusa buttons ▪ Can be wo...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Gianni Versace multicoloured velvet mini dress and leggings set, fw 1992By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GB▪ Gianni Versace multicoloured velvet mini dress and leggings set ▪ All over abstract print in blue, purple, pink, red and gold ▪ Turtle neck m...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Vivienne Westwood rope print knitted cowl-neck top and drape skirt set, ss 1998By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GB▪ Vivienne Westwood rayon-knit top and skirt 2-piece set ▪ Allover beige rope print ▪ Cowl-neck top ▪ Draped knee-length skirt with elasticated waistband ▪ Size Medium ▪ 100% Rayo...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Jean-Louis Scherrer Haute Couture embellished brown wool pant suit, fw 2001By Jean-Louis ScherrerLocated in London, GB▪ Jean-Louis Scherrer brown wool trouser suit ▪ Designed by Stephane Rolland ▪ Double-breasted blazer jacket ▪ Heavily beaded right shoulder ▪ Asymm...Category
Early 2000s French Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Yohji Yamamoto black silk skirt suit with voluminous padded cuffs, fw 2003By Yohji YamamotoLocated in London, GB▪ Yohji Yamamoto black silk suit skirt ▪ Single-breasted jacket ▪ Detachable voluminous padded cuffs ▪ Ankle-length skirt with back kick split ▪ SI...Category
Early 2000s Japanese Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- S/S 1996 Gianni Versace Couture Black Wool Medusa Button Dress Jacket SetBy Gianni Versace Couture, Gianni VersaceLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a black Medusa button dress and jacket set designed by Gianni Versace for his Spring/Summer 1996 collection. The jacket debuted on look number 3 on Kate Moss. From one of ...Category
1990s Italian Dress and Coat Ensembles
- F/W 2003 Versace by Donatella Black Halter Top Fringe Chain Skirt SetBy Donatella Versace, VersaceLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a two-piece skirt set designed by Donatella Versace. This set features chain details on both the top and skirt that create a fringe effect. The top is made of a stretchy m...Category
Early 2000s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- S/S 2001 Yves Saint Laurent by Tom Ford Pleated Black Silk Skirt Top SetBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, Tom Ford for Yves Saint LaurentLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a ruffled Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche skirt set, designed by Tom Ford for his first collection at YSL, Spring/Summer 2001. Ford reworked essential Yves Saint Laurent de...Category
Early 2000s French Cocktail Dresses
- Stella McCartney Applique Silk Jumpsuit IT42 (US6)By Stella McCartneyLocated in Brossard, QCMulticolored silk crepe de chine and organza Concealed zip fastening along back Fabric1: 100% silk; Fabric2: 100% rayon; Embroidery: 100% silk Designer color: Navy Wide-leg Cu...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Jumpsuits
- Alessandra Rich Ruffle Crystal Jumpsuit IT40 (US4)By Alessandra RichLocated in Brossard, QCFOLLOW US @RUNWAYCATALOG Deep V neckline. Long sleeves. Ruffled details. All over embellished with crystals. Lined. Deep V neckline Long sleeves Concealed back zip closure Composit...Category
21st Century and Contemporary British Jumpsuits
- 1980s Ferre Navy Fuzzy Lurex Top and SkirtBy Gianfranco FerréLocated in Toronto, OntarioUnique Ferre ensemble from the 1980s. A black tie take on the classic Rugby jersey, the top is made from a shimmery lurex fabric and has black and navy horizontal stripes. Accented w...Category
1980s French Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
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.