Gianni Versace Couture Rare S / S 1998 Vintage Black and White Cut - Out Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 40 / 6 - 8 (EU)Shoulder to Hem: 42.5 in (107.95 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:San Diego, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU6623874223
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: San Diego, CA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- 1990s Bill Blass Vintage French Dove Gray Off Shoulder Silk Jersey Evening GownBy Bill BlassLocated in San Diego, CABeautiful vintage 90s BILL BLASS off-the-shoulder Grecian evening dress! Perfect French Grey color compliments nearly any skin tone. Soft silk je...Category
1990s American Evening Gowns
- Beautiful 1970s Hand Crochet Pink Rose Bell Sleeve Chic Boho 70s Vintage DressLocated in San Diego, CASuch a beautiful early 1970s pink / rose colored hand crochet boho dress! Features a tie waist, so can fit an awesome array of sizes! Soft cotton and rayon crochet blend. Bell sleeves look fantastic on. Flower crochet...Category
1970s American Cocktail Dresses
- Avant Garde Ruben Panis Vintage Metallic Space Age Gown Detachable Bow BeltBy Ruben Panis, Ruben Panis for Elizabeth ArdenLocated in San Diego, CAThe most AMAZING vintage Ruben Panis for ELIZABETH ARDEN metallic Avant Garde one-shoulder gown. Features original bow belt--looks great with or without belt-two completely different...Category
1980s Italian Evening Gowns
- Marc Jacobs New Gray and White Denim Flower Size 0 / 2 Fit n' Flare Corset DressBy Marc JacobsLocated in San Diego, CAChic brand new MARC JACOBS grey and white flower printed cotton denim dress! Features allover flowers printed throughout. Has a 1960s / 60s mod vibe that is effortlessly stylish! Cor...Category
2010s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- Fabulous Bill Blass Sz 6 1990s Black and White Crochet Vintage 90s Sheath DressBy Bill BlassLocated in San Diego, CAFabulous 1990s BILL BLASS black and white ivory knee length sheath dress! White crepe body with hand embroidered black crochet overlay. Tailored bodice with a pencil fitting skirt. S...Category
1990s American Cocktail Dresses
- 1970s Heather Grey + Rhinestones Long Sleeve V Neck 70s Vintage Sweater DressLocated in San Diego, CAChic 1970s heather gray and rhinestones long sleeve sweater dress! Soft warm fabric that could possibly be cashmere. Fitted bodice, with a neckline trimmed in rhinestones, and a full...Category
1970s American Cocktail Dresses
- Marimekko Vintage 1980s 80s Textile Print Color Block Avant Garde Batwing DressBy MarimekkoLocated in Sparks, NVColorful geometric screen printed avant garde dress by Finnish textile designer Marimekko. Drop waist and batwing sleeves. Details: Unlined No ...Category
1980s Day Dresses
- Dolce & Gabbana Multi Silk Tie Dye Print Dress with Pockets - 44By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in West Palm Beach, FLThis unique Dolce & Gabbana dress is a tie dye print silk material. It is sleeveless with tapered stitches, 2 side pockets, and a thin gold leather belt. Size 44, circa 21st cent...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Day Dresses
- Alaia Mauve Eyelet Fit and Flare Dress Sz FR42By Azzedine AlaïaLocated in New York, NYAlaia Mauve Eyelet Fit and Flare Dress Sz FR42 Features eyelet throughout Made In: Italy Color: Mauve / lavender Composition: 85% viscose, 10% polyester, 5% nylon Lining: None Closu...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Cocktail Dresses
- Hervé Léger XS Pearl Gray Bandage DressBy Herve LégerLocated in Paris, FRHervé Léger stretch dress (00127023) in pearl gray colors. At the back a long zipper: 56 cm. Dimensions flat: bottom 39 cmCategory
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Aesthetic Day Dresses
- ALEXANDER Mc QUEEN Dress in Wool Size MBy Alexander McQueenLocated in Paris, FRAlexander Mc Queen dress in fine wool. The print mimics the black fur on white and the white fur. The dress is ample and tightens down. Mea...Category
2010s Italian Day Dresses
- Alexander McQueen Charcoal & Gray Body-Hugging Abstract High-Neck DressBy Alexander McQueenLocated in New York, NYAlexander McQueen's wonderful elegant yet sexy charcoal and gray body-hugging bold abstract high-neck deep zipper front can be worn from day into the evening hours. During the ...Category
1990s Day Dresses