1990s Versus by Versace Medusa Leather Red Belt Stud Purse
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2038210582412
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: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- 2000s Gucci Red Monogram Cloth Bottle HolderBy GucciLocated in London, GBThis exquisite Gucci Bottle Holder has been crafted with sophisticated elegance and luxury in mind. Intended to securely carry a bottle, but with t...Category
Early 2000s Italian Pouches and Wristlets
- Manolo Blahnik Limited Edition Leather Passport CoverBy Manolo BlahnikLocated in London, GBManolo Blahnik Passport Cover, Winter 18 Limited Edition, burgundy and black two-tone leather, logo embossed inside Condition: pre-owned, new with original box and dust bag Dimensi...Category
2010s Italian Tech Accessories and Cases
- 1980s Christian Dior Beige Monogram 4 Key Ring HolderBy Christian DiorLocated in London, GBChristian Dior Beige Monogram key Holder, 4 gold time metal holders, clutch closure, Made in France This beautiful beige monogrammed key ring holder is...Category
1980s French Pouches and Wristlets
- Christian Dior Dogtooth Toothpaste Tube Sleeve CoverBy Dior HommeLocated in London, GBChristian Dior Dogtooth Toothpaste Tube Sleeve Cove, washable fabric, chrome clip at the bottom to release and insert tube; the sleeve cover securely con...Category
2010s French Cosmetic Bags
- 1980s Gucci Black Suede Slippers Travel CaseBy GucciLocated in London, GB1980s Gucci Black Suede Slippers Travel zipped case, This travel case serves as a fashionable way to protect your essentials while on the go. The timeless style of Gucci's classic b...Category
1980s Italian Pouches and Wristlets
- 1990s VERSUS Gianni Versace Black Stud Medusa Leather Mini Bag BeltBy Gianni Versace, VersusLocated in London, GBA rare, vintage from the 1990s, Versus Gianni Versace black stud Medusa leather mini bag and belt, magnificent Versace logo in black and silver, thick supple leather, metal finish to...Category
1990s Italian Belt Bags
- Gucci Red Leather Bamboo Tassel Zip Around WalletBy GucciLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Keep it classy and chic with this minimally designed Gucci wallet. Designed in a red shade, it is crafted from leather, and it is adorned with silver-tone accents. The top zipper clo...Category
2010s Italian Wallets
- Hermes Rouge Pivoine Epsom Leather Clochette Cles Tressage Bag CharmBy HermèsLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Hermes helps you adorn your bags with an accent by proffering this too-cute-to-be-true bag charm which can be attached with a strap and is enhanced with beautiful colors.Category
2010s French Wallets and Small Accessories
- Gucci Signature GG Canvas Monogram Leather Wallet GG-1201P-0001By GucciLocated in Downey, CA"Gucci Signature Gg Canvas Monogram Leather Wallet GG-1201P-0001 Gucci signature scarlet red Canvas wallet with red leather detail, simply a beautiful bifold wallet. Features a bifo...Category
2010s Italian Belt Bags
- Hermes Red Shiny Crocodile Bearn Wallet gold and diamond hardwareBy HermèsLocated in London, EnglandHermes Red Shiny Crocodile Bearn Wallet in alligator crocodile, hardware is in 18 K white gold and diamond hardware, with 16 brilliant cut diamonds fo...Category
2010s French Wallets
- CHANEL Red Lambskin Leather Gold Hardware Micro Mini Pochette Waist Belt BagBy ChanelLocated in Chicago, ILPre-Owned Vintage Condition From 1990's Collection Lambskin Leather Gold Tone Hardware Leather Lining Measures 3.25" W x 3" H x 1.5" D Belt Total Length 40" 100% Authenticity Guaran...Category
Late 20th Century Belt Bags
- Chanel Coco Button Red Caviar Make Up Travel Bag CC-W1101P-A004By ChanelLocated in Downey, CAThis Magnificent red Chanel travel make up bag bag includes signature caviar leather exterior with CC monogram on the front hardware interior includes CC monogram stamped all around. The travel makeup...Category
2010s Italian Pouches and Wristlets