London pays tribute to Gianni Versace with a major exhibition
Until 1 March at Arches London Bridge more than 450 creations from the designer's collections from his early days until his death in 1997
2' min read
2' min read
The largest retrospective ever dedicated to Gianni Versace in Britain opens this week in London: over 450 vintage garments trace the career of the great Italian designer and innovator from his beginnings to his tragic end. The succession of garments, in chronological order, traces 21 of Versace's collections, from spring/autumn 1988 to autumn/winter 1997/98, the last show before his murder in Miami on 15 July 1997.
In addition to the original dresses worn by supermodels such as Naomi Campbell, Stella Tennant and Kate Moss, fashion show footage and vintage photos take us back in time. There is also the famous 'punk' dress held together with gold safety pins that caused such a scandal when Liz Hurley wore it to the premiere of the film 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' in 1994.
The exhibition also looks at Versace's various inspirations: from his beginnings in the family tailor's shop in Calabria, to the iconography of the Catholic religion, his pride in his roots in what he called Magna Graecia - just think of the Medusa - to his passion for Baroque and the opulent prints that made the brand instantly recognisable. In addition to clothes and shoes, furniture and home accessories, there are original sketches and drawings by the designer, vintage newspapers and magazines, photos and interview videos.
As well as taking inspiration from the past, Versace anticipated the future by breaking many taboos, designing clothes for both men and women and emphasising the link between fashion and sexuality. Openly gay, he was an important figure for the LGBTQ movement, but also encouraged women to be sexy and more confident, emphasising rather than hiding their bodies.
Special attention is paid to the influence London had on him: both as an inspiration for his creations, punk aesthetics above all, and as a place where he was appreciated and celebrated and where he dressed three celebrities with whom he also cultivated a deep friendship: Elton John, Princess Diana and George Michael.
