Versace, Versace, Versace | From Gianni to Donatella

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In 1978, a 22-year-old Gianni Versace founded a creative empire that would shake the fashion world to its very core. Up until this point, fashion had primarily been a conservative affair - there were a few visionaries that changed the landscape such as Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, André Courrèges and Paco Rabanne, to name a few - but no one had really explored raw femininity and sexual energy in such a bold and unwavering manner before. As the late 1970s raged on into the early 1980s, women were arguably finding more freedom that they hadn’t previously experienced in the 1950s and 1960s; gaining more senior and powerful roles in business, politics and entertainment, to which Gianni Versace became the catalyst in personifying this new look. Big shoulders, power suits, low cut and figure-hugging dresses with even higher thigh splits: sensuality and passion embodied everything he did, and Versace wasn’t ashamed of it either.

^{A Gianni Versace Couture dress (£200-400)}

Gianni was born in Reggio Calabria, Italy, and grew up with his younger sister, the inimitable Donatella, and his older brother Santo who would later establish Gianni Versace SpA in 1977. Gianni eventually attended Liceo Classico Tomasso Campanella, where he poured over Latin and ancient Greek texts. Perhaps this fixation with the hyper feminine and fervently erotic came from his love and appreciation of ancient Greek and Roman culture. Something that stemmed from his childhood in southern Italy which is steeped in history. Even the motifs of the brand, such as the Medusa head and Greek key showcase this obsession. Ever rebellious, he never completed the course and embarked on becoming a fashion designer.

By 1973, Gianni had become the designer of ‘Byblos’, a more youthful offering from Genny, an Italian ready-to-wear line founded by Arnaldo Girombelli in 1962. He then designed an experimental line for Genny in 1977, called Complice, which led to him presenting his first signature womenswear collection a few years later at the Palazzo Della Permanente in Milan. Versace’s first fashion show took place in the September of 1978, the same year he also opened his first store on Milan’s Via della Spiga.

^{Left: a Gianni Versace Couture fur trim coat (£400-600) | Right: a Gianni Versace Couture dress (£300-500)}

Versace’s designs were very atypical of what existed in fashion at that time. He drew inspiration from Roman drapery and mosaics, looking to Classicism and Byzantium, as well as the Art Deco period; fusing them with contemporary pop culture references and artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Jim Dine, to create couture that was relevant for the fast paced decade of the 1980s. As well as inventing pioneering new silhouettes, Versace developed a new variety of chainmail in 1982 called ‘Oroton’ with a German artisan. It was extremely lightweight and very wearable. Emulating the liquid quality of silk but with the strength of metal. Oroton is still used in Versace’s collections and is a favourite of Donatella, with the likes of Dua Lipa, Bella Hadid and Margot Robbie all having been seen wearing the material in recent years.

Another brilliantly scandalous highlight from Gianni’s tenure at his eponymously named house, was the iconic safety pin dress worn by Liz Hurley to the 1994 Four Weddings and Funeral film premiere. Often referred to as ‘THAT Dress’, it was constructed from black silk and Lycra which hugged the body with a wide-open front. Each side had large cutaways and was held together by six oversized gold safety pins. Gianni stated that the dress had been inspired by the Indian sari with a punk twist.¹ At the time many viewed the dress as distasteful and too revealing, however, it was somewhat a watershed moment for women - empowering and provided women with the freedom to wear what they wished, whenever they wished, in the face of misogyny. Only two years before Liz Hurley’s bold fashion moment, Versace had unveiled his A/W 1996 collection, entitled ‘Miss S&M’ which featured revealing dresses in tightly cut forms, festooned with studs and leather galore. Hurley’s dress sparked a revolution for women being able to wear more daring ensembles to A-list events after it topped a 2008 Debenhams poll that asked 3,000 women to choose their favourite red-carpet dresses.

^{An Atelier Versace dress (£200-300)}

In 1997, just one year after Liz Hurley had made the brand a household name, Gianni Versace was tragically murdered by Andrew Cunanan on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion. Cunanan had formed an obsession with Gianni and even claimed they were friends to others. The FBI later believed that the two had previously met, however, their relationship remains an enigma. Cunanan had also killed four other men and was known for his delusional behaviour. Eight days later he was found dead by suicide on his houseboat.

Versace’s murder not only shocked the world, with celebrities such as Elton John, Naomi Campbell and Princess Diana all attending his funeral, but one figure in particular was shaken to the core – his sister, Donatella. A family affair, Donatella was originally appointed as Versace’s vice-president and always wanted to work in fashion, "I knew I was going to work in fashion; I really didn't think of nothing else."² Donatella collaborated with Gianni across everything from styling to photoshoots, designing accessories and even forging the look of the brand. She was considered his muse, even when the two were in their youth, Gianni was the one who convinced his sister, to dye her hair blonde like Italian pop icon Patty Pravo.³

Donatella could have easily been overshadowed by her brother’s legacy; however, she managed to bring Versace into a new age and gave his name a renaissance. Keeping the core values of the brand, the fusion between the classical and the pop, and finding new icons such as Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and Madonna.

^{A Gianni Versace Couture fur trim coat (£400-600)}

After a nearly a 28-year tenure as creative director, Donatella stepped down as creative director and handed the reigns over to Dario Vitale who previously worked as the design director and head of image at Miu Miu. On 26 September 2025, Vitale unveiled his first runway collection for Versace at Milan Fashion Week. Unusually, the show wasn’t a large-scale event like most shows in the industry, instead Vitale opted for a small, carefully curated gathering. It paid homage to the decadent Versace of the 1980s with a plethora of bright colours, high waisted trousers and loafers. The previously sexual imagery of Donatella had been swapped out for a more sensual approach, with muted silhouettes. The collection remains divisive amongst critics and fans. The look of Versace may have been altered slightly but Gianni’s rebellious nature still thrives today.

We are honoured to announce that an exciting collection of Gianni Versace dresses will appear in our Jewellery, Gifts and Luxury Goods sale later this month. These beautiful examples along with many other pieces of ready-to-wear and luxury items will be available for viewing at our Stansted Mountfitchet Auction Rooms on 24 & 25 November, ahead of the online auction, taking place on 26 November.

_{¹ Richard Harrison Martin. Gianni Versace. Metropolitan Museum of Art, T.H.E. 1997.
² Ariel Levy. Summer for the Sun Queen. ‘Nymag.com’. 17th August 2006.
³ Donatella Versace et al. Versace. Rizzoli International Publications, Inc. 2016.}

Jewellery, Gifts and Luxury Goods

Wednesday 26 November | 10am

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01279 817778

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