Gianni Versace Couture Red Large Tote Bag with Medusas
View Similar Items
Gianni Versace Couture Red Large Tote Bag with Medusas
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” — as 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, 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. 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.
- Bottega Veneta Brand New China Intercciato Wallet on Chain Crossbody BagBy Bottega VenetaLocated in Pasadena, CABottega Veneta Brand New China Intercciato Wallet on Chain Crossbody Bag *Marked Bottega Veneta and B06425097E * Made in Italy * Comes with original box, dustbag, tag and booklet * ...Category
2010s Italian Structured Shoulder Bags
- HERMÈS Bolide 1995 Tan Leather Bag GHW VintageBy HermèsLocated in London, GBHERMÈS Bolide 1995 Tan Leather Bag GHW Vintage A timeless classic vintage 1995 Hermès Bolide bag in cavalerie tan-gold colour in Courchevel leather wit...Category
1990s French Shoulder Bags
- Chanel Medium Double Flap bag in shiny red alligator with gold hardwareBy ChanelLocated in New York, NYA SHINY RED ALLIGATOR MEDIUM CLASSIC DOUBLE FLAP WITH GOLD HARDWARE. Comes with dust bag, certificate of authenticity and the box. Bag is in great condition. No CITES. Series 20xxxx...Category
2010s French Shoulder Bags
- Rare Double Faced Classic Chanel CC Shoulder BagBy ChanelLocated in Pasadena, CARare Double Faced Classic Chanel CC Shoulder Bag with Gold hardware. Red leather exterior with gold Double CC Buckle accents on both sides. This be...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Structured Shoulder Bags
- Christian Dior by John Galliano red "Hardcore" shoulder bag, ss 2003By Christian Dior, John Galliano for Christian DiorLocated in Milano, IT- Designed by John Galliano - Sold by Skof.Archive - Silver-tone hardware - Crystal and leather trim - Chain-link handle and single adjustable shoulder strap - Comes with no addition...Category
Early 2000s French Shoulder Bags
$1,304 Sale Price20% Off - Alexander McQueen Red Patent Leather SatchelBy Alexander McQueenLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Style your outfit with this masterfully crafted Alexander McQueen satchel. The red piece is crafted from patent leather and enhanced with gol...Category
2010s Italian Shoulder Bags