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.
- 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
- 1990s VERSUS Gianni Versace Black Stud Medusa Leather Mini Bag BeltBy Versus, Gianni VersaceLocated 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
- 2000s Emilio Pucci Double Pouch Wristlet HandbagBy Emilio PucciLocated in London, GBBoasting an iconic multicolor motif and striking orange patent leather accents, this Emilio Pucci double-zipped pouch bag is elevated with two spectacular silver-tone metalware adorn...Category
Early 2000s Italian Pouches and Wristlets
- 1990s Burberry Pocket Shaped Wristlet PouchBy BurberryLocated in London, GB1990s Burberry Pocket Shaped Wristlet Pouch, tartan print on front, denim on back, top zip closure with char, denim, red leather strap This classic design is perfect for fashion afi...Category
1990s British Pouches and Wristlets
- 1960s Gucci Travel Dust Cover Zipped BagBy GucciLocated in London, GBGUCCI Leather Goods Travel Wardrobe Zipper Bag Dust Cover Condition: vintage, 1960s, overall good, very small tear at end of zip, not affecting zips functionality nor aesthetics ...Category
1960s Italian Tech Accessories and Cases
- 2000s Moschino Christmas Decorative Tree Ornament PurseBy MoschinoLocated in London, GBWelcome to the 2000s Moschino Christmas Decorative Tree Ornament Purse, a wallet-inspired quirky design, featuring gold tone hardware and a clutch c...Category
Early 2000s Italian Pouches and Wristlets
- Hermès Rose "Orange Bag Charm"By HermèsLocated in West Hollywood, CACharm in Milo lambskin and swift calfskin with "ex-libris" hot stamp Comes with original box and ribbon Drop 6.5"Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Wallets and Small Accessories
- Chanel NIB Red Fuchsia Small Rodeo CharmBy HermèsLocated in West Hollywood, CAChanel new small rodeo grigi bag charm, red and fuchsia lambskin. Comes with original boxCategory
21st Century and Contemporary French Wallets and Small Accessories
- Hermès Rose Pourpre Rodeo Charm MMBy HermèsLocated in West Hollywood, CAHermès Rodeo Charm in pink. This piece is made out of lambskin leather and comes in a bright pink. The handle drop is 7.25" and the charm is brand n...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Wallets and Small Accessories
- HERMES Brique Box leather & canvas SANGLE KELLY 50mm Bag StrapBy HermèsLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Hermès shoulder strap for your Kelly or Evelyne bag in Brique (brick red) canvas and Box leather. Has been carried and is in excellent condition. Measurements Width 5...Category
1990s French Wallets and Small Accessories
- LOUIS VUITTON Orient red Monogram Empreinte SECRET WalletBy Louis VuittonLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Louis Vuitton Empreinte Secret Compact Wallet in Orient red grained calfskin featuring gold-tone hardware....Category
2010s Italian Wallets
- LOUIS VUITTON Rouge red Epi leather ZIPPY WalletBy Louis VuittonLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Louis Vuitton Zippy wallet in red Epi leather with silver-tone hardware. Lined in red grained cowhide-leather lining with three large gusseted compartments, bill pocke...Category
2010s Italian Wallets