Dress

Gianni Versace|Gianni Versace

spring/summer 1994, edition 2016 · silk, metal, synthetic · Costume Institute

Both celebrated and censured for their heightened sensuality, the designs of Gianni Versace epitomized a branch of Italian style redolent with glitz, flash, and celebrity that rose to prominence during the 1980s and 1990s. This infamous take on the little black dress, among the house’s most iconic pieces, is deceptively well structured, despite the effortless cling conveyed by the fabric. The deep V neck and exposed sides are both supported with lines of boning, while the bust is lightly padded. By 1994, when a punk revival was underway in fashion, the kilt pins that bridge the seductive gaps in this garment had come to replace the safety pin that signified the 1970s movement. This luxurious interpretation of the pin, however, is entirely in the Versace vernacular: gilt and topped with crystal-encrusted Medusa-head closures.

Artist

Gianni Versace|Gianni Versace

Date

spring/summer 1994, edition 2016

Medium

silk, metal, synthetic

Culture

Italian

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Gift of Donatella and Allegra Versace, in honor of Harold Koda, 2016