Gianni Versace gold leather four piece skirt suit, fw 1994
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: IT 40 - FR 36 - UK 8 - US 4 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU140210952532
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.
- Worlds End mens pantsuit, pirate collection, circa 1981By Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren, Worlds EndLocated in London, GBA rare pantsuit by Worlds End, designed by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm Mclaren, circa 1981. Pirate inspired design, blue, white and green striped cotto...Category
1980s British Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Vivienne Westwood blue tweed skirt suit, fw 1994By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GB▪ Vivienne Westwood blue tweed skirt suit ▪ 100% Wool ▪ Double breasted blazer jacket ▪ Velvet collar and pocket flaps ▪ Two front pockets ▪ Pleated wrap...Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Gianni Versace black cotton lace pant suit, ss 1994By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GB▪ Gianni Versace black cotton lace pant suit ▪ Sleeveless button up vest ▪ Two front flap patch pockets ▪ Slim pants with organza lining ▪ IT 38 - FR 3...Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Azzedine Alaia indigo blue denim playsuit, ss 1991By Azzedine AlaïaLocated in London, GB▪ Azzedine Alaia indigo blue denim playsuit ▪ 100% Cotton ▪ High waisted mini shorts ▪ Built-in padded bra ▪ Brass buckles ▪ FR 40 - UK 12 - US 8 ▪ Spr...Category
1990s French Jumpsuits
- Junya Watanabe multicoloured wool tweed pant suit and hat, fw 2004By Junya Watanabe Comme des GarçonsLocated in London, GB▪ Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons multicoloured tweed ensemble ▪ 100% Wool ▪ Bias-cut figure hugging panels ▪ Purple high-neck bodysuit with pin-tucked waist panel ▪ Orange low r...Category
Early 2000s Japanese Trouser Pant Suits
- Dolce & Gabbana silk chiffon blouse and skirt pants set, ss 1998By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GB▪ Dolce & Gabbana chiffon set ▪ 90% Silk, 10% Lycra ▪ Loose-fit blouse with large scarf collar ▪ Fitted leggings with attached mini skirt ▪ IT 38 - FR ...Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- 1960s Carla Dupréé Coral and Gold Brocade EnsembleLocated in Toronto, Ontario1960's bright coral and gold floral brocade top and skirt ensemble by Hawaiian designer Carla Dupréé. Fitted top features a halter neckline, scalloped hem ...Category
1960s American Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Missoni Gold Metallic Crochet Knit Floral Print Mini Jumpsuit Romper Playsuit 42By MissoniLocated in Switzerland, CHClassic MISSONI signature zigzag crochet knit mini jumpsuit Stunning colors! Simply slips on Amazing gold metallic crochet knit Multicolor floral chiffon trimmi...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Beachwear
- Missoni Gold Metallic Crochet Knit Floral Print Mini Jumpsuit Romper Playsuit 44By MissoniLocated in Switzerland, CHClassic MISSONI signature zigzag crochet knit mini jumpsuit Stunning colors! Simply slips on Amazing gold metallic crochet knit Multicolor floral chiffon trimming Discreetly labele...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Beachwear
- Off-white raw silk skirt-suit with gold buttons Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FROff-white raw silk skirt-suit with gold buttons. Double-breasted jacket. Fabric tag composition has been cut but probably raw silk and silk lining. Ja...Category
1980s French Skirt Suits
- Black&white wool knit skirt-suit with gold metal button Adolfo at Saks Fifth AvBy Adolfo at Saks Fifth AvenueLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FRBlack&white wool knit skirt-suit with gold metal button and chains. Shoulder -pads. SIZE MCategory
1970s American Skirt Suits
- BONNIE CASHIN c.1970’s Sills Off-White Leather Gold Twist Lock Jacket Skirt SetBy Bonnie CashinLocated in Thiensville, WIBONNIE CASHIN c.1970’s Sills Off-White / Beige Leather Gold Twist Lock Jacket Skirt Suit Set Circa: 1970’s Label(s): Sills Bonnie Cashin, Huxton’s Milwaukee Designer: Bonnie Cashin ...Category
1970s American Skirt Suits
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.