S/S 1996 Gianni Versace Black Sheer Panel Sleeveless Mesh Bodycon Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 40IT/6US (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. In very good condition with minimal wear throughout dress. Pin-sized holes in the mesh near the underarms - not noticeable when worn.
- Seller Location:West Hollywood, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2388222249582
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. Today, his vintage dresses and gowns, handbags, sunglasses and other accessories look astonishingly fresh and freshly relevant.
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,” he once explained. Instead, he had a sexy good time with fashion — as he did with life.
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 — and Gianni Versace Couture, which debuted in 1989 — 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: West Hollywood, CA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- F/W 1998 Gucci by Tom Ford Runway Black Layered Tulle Sheer Plunge GownBy Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a fabulous black tulle Gucci gown designed by Tom Ford. From the Fall/Winter 1998 collection, this whimsical black tulle Gucci by Tom Ford gown was highlighted on the seas...Category
1990s Italian Formal Gowns
- S/S 2000 Gianni Versace Silk Bamboo & Orchid Jungle Sleeveless Dress DonatellaBy Donatella Versace for Gianni Versace, Gianni Versace CoutureLocated in West Hollywood, CAThis Versace take on a collared 'ladies who lunch' dress was designed by Donatella Versace. This dress by Gianni Versace for the Spring/Summer 2000 collection and includes an orchid ...Category
Early 2000s Italian Day Dresses
- F/W 2001 Yves Saint Laurent by Tom Ford Velvet Ribbon DressBy Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent, Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a timeless Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche little black dress, designed by Tom Ford. From the Fall/Winter 2001 collection, this stunning midi dress in black features a fitt...Category
Early 2000s French Cocktail Dresses
- S/S 2000 Gucci by Tom Ford Abstract Print Viscose V-Neck DressBy Tom Ford for Gucci, GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a slinky printed viscose dress designed by Tom Ford for Gucci. This dress features three-quarter length sleeves, a v-neckline, and one of the signature S/S 2000 Gucci prin...Category
Early 2000s Italian Day Dresses
- S/S 1991 Atelier Versace by Gianni Versace Grecian Tunic Two Piece Dress SetBy Atelier Versace, Gianni VersaceLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a stunning Atelier Versace dress set from the S/S 1991 collection, designed by Gianni Versace. This extraordinary piece can be seen on the season's haute couture runway. C...Category
1990s Italian Greek Style Dresses
- F/W 1996 Gucci by Tom Ford Burgundy Military Inspired Button Up Pocket DressBy Tom Ford for Gucci, GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a military inspired collared Gucci dress, designed by Tom Ford. This dress from the Fall/Winter 1996 collection is made of a stretchy hefty viscose which allows the fabric...Category
1990s Italian Day Dresses
- Lela Rose Ivory Cotton Blend Sleeveless Patchwork Dress - 8By Lela RoseLocated in West Palm Beach, FLLela Rose Ivory Cotton Blend Sleeveless Patchwork Dress - 8. This fitted dress is in excellent condition and has a unique look. The patchwork is comprised of squares and the piece ha...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Day Dresses
- Oscar de la Renta Red, Black, & Ivory Cotton Sleeveless Tribal Print Dress - 8By Oscar De La RentaLocated in West Palm Beach, FLOscar de la Renta Red, Black, & Ivory Cotton Sleeveless Tribal Print Dress - 8. This adorable Oscar dress is in excellent condition. It features a lovely red, black, and ivory cott...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Day Dresses
- Emilio Pucci Aqua Silk Chiffon Long Sleeve Dress with Sheer Cutouts - 10By Emilio PucciLocated in West Palm Beach, FLEmilio Pucci Aqua Silk Chiffon Long Sleeve Dress with Sheer Cutouts - 10. This dress is in very good condition with some pulling throughout, consistent with such a fragile piece. The...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Day Dresses
- Salvatore Ferragamo Peach Cotton Knit Short Sleeve Shift Dress - MediumBy Salvatore FerragamoLocated in West Palm Beach, FLSalvatore Ferragamo Peach Cotton Knit Short Sleeve Shift Dress - Medium. This lovely dress is in excellent condition. It features a feminine peach cotton knit material, two pockets...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shift Dresses
- Missoni Vintage Earthtones Chevron Knitted Tunic-Style Dress - S - Circa 70'sBy MissoniLocated in West Palm Beach, FLMissoni Vintage Earthtones Chevron Knitted Tunic-Style Dress - S - Circa 70's. This adorable dress is in excellent vintage condition with only very slight pulls near the bottom. It ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Day Dresses
- Tomasz Starzewski Ivory Soutache Lace Strapless Dress w/ Jacket-12-90'sBy Tomasz StarzewskiLocated in West Palm Beach, FLTomasz Starzewski Ivory Soutache Lace Strapless Dress w/ Jacket-12-90's This perfect vintage summer piece is made of a beautiful soutache lace, the dres...Category
1990s English Day Dresses