Versace FW 2005 Runway Silk Backless Halter Dress as seen on Demi Moore It. 42
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 42 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Montgomery, TX
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU653122541362
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: Montgomery, TX
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Vintage John Galliano Silk Floral Print Pleated Dress French 36 - US 4By John GallianoLocated in Montgomery, TXVintage John Galliano Silk Floral Print Pleated Dress French size 36 - US 4 2007 Collection 100% Silk dress and lining, Floral print, Pleated details, Empire waist, Fabric-covered bu...Category
Early 2000s French Empire Waist Dresses
- New Etro Silk Runway Yellow Green Midi Open Back Dress with Scarf Italian 42By EtroLocated in Montgomery, TXEtro Silk Runway Yellow Green Midi Open Back Dress with Scarf Italian size - 42 100% Silk, Halter Neck Style with Attached Scarf, Scarf Finished with Metal Fringe, Open Back. Measur...Category
2010s Italian Day Dresses
- New EMILIO PUCCI Jersey Mini Silk Sexy Stretch Frills Dress It 40 - US 2/4By Emilio PucciLocated in Montgomery, TXNew EMILIO PUCCI Runway Jersey Stretch Mini Dress Italian Size 40 - US 4 (FR 36, UK 8) Multicolored printed silk-jersey mini dress with ruched panels. E...Category
2010s Italian Mini Dresses
- Vintage early 2000-s Versace Floral print mini dress NWTBy VersaceLocated in Montgomery, TXEarly 2000-s Versace Floral print mini dress IT Size 40 - US 4 Jersey Fully lined V-Neck and open back DV logo on the clasp New, with tags Made in Italy Excellent conditionCategory
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Cocktail Dresses
- Valentino Lambskin Leather Umbrella Print Halter Cutout Midi Dress Italian 42By ValentinoLocated in Montgomery, TXValentino Lambskin Leather Halter Cut Out Dress Italian size 42 Black Lambskin Leather, Umbrella Print, Halter Neck with Cut Out Detail Around the Waist, A-Line, Bust Part Fully Line...Category
2010s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- Gucci Vintage White Jersey Wrap Tassel Print Plunging Dress size SBy GucciLocated in Montgomery, TXGucci Vintage White Jersey Wrap Printed Dress Designer size - S White background futured signature Gucci tassel with bamboo print. Plunging neckline, Wrap style with attached belt. F...Category
Early 2000s Italian Casual Dresses
- Emilio Pucci Blue Silk DressBy Emilio PucciLocated in Paris, FREmilio Pucci blue silk jersey printed dress featuring an iconic geometric print, a front gathered detail. Composition: 100% silk Estimated size IT42/38fr/US6 /UK10 Made in Italy. In...Category
1990s French Cocktail Dresses
- Azzedine Alaia S/S 1985 Vintage Plunged Cutout Bodycon Green DressBy Azzedine AlaïaLocated in Naples, FLAzzedine Alaia 1985 Vintage Plunged Cutout Bodycon Green Dress Size MCategory
1990s Day Dresses
- 1984 Yves Saint Laurent Floral Silk Runway Dress w Black Velvet TrimBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Portland, ORThis iconic Yves Saint Laurent dress is in a fine floral silk in shades of dove grey and pink on a black background with black velvet trim at the cuffs, yoke and over the shoulders. ...Category
1980s European Day Dresses
- Valentino Red Crepe Vintage Dress With DrapingBy ValentinoLocated in Portland, ORThere is nothing like the perfect red! The Valentino dress is in the classic "Valentino red" which is such a flattering color and it has just the right pigment to flatter all skin types. This lovely dress is such a perfect piece to add to any wardrobe and can easily go from day to night with the right accessories! We especially love the gorgeous draping in the back and the puckered, paneled sleeve detail. The center back has a 10 1/2" slit at the hem and there is a center back hidden zipper closure with a hook and eye. This fully lined dress is made in an acetate viscose blend crepe and it is labeled Valentino. Made in italy...Category
Early 2000s European Evening Dresses
- 2002 Yves Saint Laurent by Tom Ford Sleeveless Champagne Satin Panel Midi DressBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, Tom Ford for Yves Saint LaurentLocated in West Hollywood, CATom Ford designed this champagne-colored satin Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche dress. From 2002, this sleeveless dress is constructed entirely of shimmery satin and features a v-neckl...Category
Early 2000s French Cocktail 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