Who was the real founder of Versace?

The real founder of Versace was Gianni Versace. He was born in Calabria, Italy, in 1948. His mother was a successful dressmaker who employed more than 40 seamstresses. As a child, Gianni marveled at her workshop, which would become a university of sorts, where he learned the exceptional construction techniques that would be the foundation of his work. In 1972, at the age of 25, he moved to Milan to work in fashion. He launched his first collection and label in 1978, with his older brother Santo managing the business concerns. Soon, his sister Donatella joined the family venture, where she has had a creative role and managed enormously popular ready-to-wear lines such as Versus. On 1stDibs, find a collection of Versace apparel and accessories.

Versace 1997

Gianni Versace Black Dress

Versace Runway Vintage

Sold

Size: 40

vintage GIANNI VERSACE 1997 purple leather fur trim strapless mini dress IT40

By Gianni Versace

Located in Hong Kong, NT

vintage GIANNI VERSACE 1997 purple leather fur trim strapless mini dress IT40 Reference: GIYG/A00024 Brand: Gianni Versace Designer: Gianni Versace Collection: Fall Winter 1997 - Run...

Category

1990s Italian Cocktail Dresses

By Marc Bouwer

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Stunning Marc Bouwer one-shoulder gown from the 2000's is a vibrant blue, with a rhinestone pin on the shoulder. Mermaid fit, with an elegant cascading tail. Side zip closure. Excell...

Category

Late 20th Century American Aesthetic Evening Dresses

NWT 1990s Gianni Versace Couture Size 40 / 4 Black Silk Vintage Bondage Dress

$3,895

$5,229

Size: 2

Issey Miyake blue silk dress with drapedmesh overlay, ss 2005

By Issey Miyake

Located in London, GB

▪ Issey Miyake blue silk mesh ▪ Draped mesh overlay ▪ Floral corsages ▪ Asymmetric neck and hemline ▪ Size JP 2 - Medium ▪ Spring-Summer 2005 ▪ 100% Silk ▪ Made in Japan

Category

Early 2000s Japanese Evening Dresses and Gowns

Tom Ford for Gucci Pants with Zipper Legs A/W 2001

$1,800

Size: 40

Tom Ford for Gucci Pants with Zipper Legs A/W 2001

By Tom Ford, Gucci

Located in Water Mill, NY

Gorgeous ad campaign and runway featured pants in fine black wool pants with leather trim by Tom Ford for Gucci. They have a 2" waistband, front zipper, and 2 back zipper leather pa...

Category

Early 2000s Italian Pants

Long draped evening bustier dress in blue silk chiffon Estévez

$551

$3,850

Size: F40

JOHN GALLIANO 1999 Vintage Silk Floral Brocade Little Black Slip Dress

By John Galliano

Located in Leonardo, NJ

John Galliano Vintage AW99 Jet black floral textured brocade pattern 100% silk Pullover Cute signature buttons in the front There is room to let the straps out an inch Size F40 fits...

Category

1990s Cocktail Dresses

1990's Dolce & Gabbana Leopard Print Lace Up Corset Dress

$3,295

Size: 44

1990's Dolce & Gabbana Leopard Print Lace Up Corset Dress

By Dolce & Gabbana

Located in Concord, NC

90's Dolce & Gabbana vintage leopard print corset dress. This dress features quilted detailing at the bodice and bust, with lace-up corset style sides that cinch the waist for a ...

Category

1990s Casual Dresses

$1,654

Size: 38 (Fr) M

Pale gold jersey lurex evening dress with ruffles Carlo Pignatelli

Located in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FR

Pale gold jersey lurex evening dress with smock waist and ruffles. Fabric composition: 90% nylon, 10% metallic. Pale pink stretch jersey lining ( look like Lycra) No brand tag only ...

Category

2010s Unknown Evening Dresses

Black silk cocktail dress with white lace edge YVES SAINT LAURENT Circa 1960's

$4,135

Size: 38 (Fr) M

Black silk cocktail dress with white lace edge YVES SAINT LAURENT Circa 1960's

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FR

Black silk cocktail dress with white lace edge . Taffetas petticoat. Velvet bow on the middle front.Zip closure on the middle back. SIZE 38 (Fr) M

Category

1960s French Cocktail Dresses

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Versace 1997 For Sale on 1stDibs

Surely you’ll find the exact vintage or contemporary versace 1997 you’re seeking on 1stDibs — we’ve got a vast assortment for sale. Black is a pretty popular color, but we also have Gray, Brown, Yellow and more in stock now. You’re likely to find the perfect versace 1997 among the distinctive accessories we have available, which includes versions made as long ago as the 20th Century as well as those produced as recently as the 21st Century. Finding an appealing accessory such as this — no matter the origin — is easy, but Gianni Versace, Gianni Versace Couture and Versace each produced a popular version that is worth a look. Finding a versace 1997 for sale for women should be easy, but there are 2 pieces available to browse for men as well.

How Much is a Versace 1997?

On average, a versace 1997 on 1stDibs sells for $6,447, while they’re typically $349 on the low end and $89,000 for the highest priced versions of this item.

Gianni Versace for sale on 1stDibs

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.

Finding the Right Clothing for You

Start building your collection of covetable and iconic vintage clothing today — no matter where you roam, there is a curated selection of designer dresses and gowns, sweaters, shirts, dazzling shoes and more on 1stDibs that will keep you covered in the hottest styles from head to toe.

From elegant museum-worthy vintage Chanel dresses and jackets to audacious T-shirts and trousers from provocative punk designer Vivienne Westwood, one thing is abundantly clear: If the clothing for sale on 1stDibs could talk, it would certainly make a statement.

For fashion lovers, the 1990s have become associated with styles adopted by today’s supermodels and influencers — think John Galliano and Roberto Cavalli — but maybe ‘80s accessories are among your (guilty?) pleasures.

Playful, boldly colored coats and outerwear from Moschino, Ralph Lauren and other titans of the era can take a simpler ensemble to the next level, while chic and practical suits from the likes of Christian Dior and Balmain endure for haute couture advocates and beyond.

And vintage is the name of the game on today’s red carpets, too. Celebrity stylists are turning to archival pieces created by the likes of Bob Mackie, Thierry Mugler and Jean-Paul Gaultier as alternatives to new gowns plucked straight off the runway. Wearing such sought-after items gives celebrities instant allure and suggests a personal style that’s not only achingly glamorous but intellectually informed and influenced by a love of craftsmanship.

Those seeking contemporary luxury looks and in-demand street-style fits can indulge in designs by Bottega Veneta, Miu Miu and Loro Piana, while pieces from Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Versace endure as examples of fashion’s most covetable goods.

The future — and glamorous past — of fashion is yours for the wearing. Find vintage clothing and accessories for sale on 1stDibs, including designs by Balenciaga, Valentino, Celine, Loewe and more.

Questions About Gianni Versace

Who was the real founder of Versace?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertOctober 15, 2024
The real founder of Versace was Gianni Versace. He was born in Calabria, Italy, in 1948. His mother was a successful dressmaker who employed more than 40 seamstresses. As a child, Gianni marveled at her workshop, which would become a university of sorts, where he learned the exceptional construction techniques that would be the foundation of his work. In 1972, at the age of 25, he moved to Milan to work in fashion. He launched his first collection and label in 1978, with his older brother Santo managing the business concerns. Soon, his sister Donatella joined the family venture, where she has had a creative role and managed enormously popular ready-to-wear lines such as Versus. On 1stDibs, find a collection of Versace apparel and accessories.