London pays tribute to Gianni Versace with a major exhibition

The largest British retrospective ever dedicated to Gianni Versace opens this week in London: over 450 vintage garments trace the career of the great Italian designer and innovator from his beginnings to his tragic end. The display, in chronological order, spans 21 Versace collections, from Spring/Fall 1988 to Fall/Winter 1997/98, the last show before his murder in Miami on July 15, 1997.

In addition to the original dresses worn by supermodels like Naomi Campbell, Stella Tennant, and Kate Moss, fashion show footage and vintage photos take us back in time. There's also the famous "punk" dress held together with gold safety pins that caused such a scandal when Liz Hurley wore it to the premiere of the film "Four Weddings and a Funeral" in 1994.

The exhibition also explores Versace's diverse inspirations: from his early days in the family tailoring business in Calabria, to the iconography of the Catholic religion, to his pride in his roots in what he called Magna Graecia—think of the Medusa—to his passion for Baroque and the opulent prints that made the brand instantly recognizable. In addition to clothing and shoes, furniture and home accessories, the exhibition features original sketches and drawings by the designer, vintage newspapers and magazines, photos, and video interviews.

Princess Diana's pink suit

In addition to drawing inspiration from the past, Versace anticipated the future by breaking numerous taboos, designing clothes for both men and women, and emphasizing the connection between fashion and sexuality. Openly gay, he was an important figure in the LGBTQ movement, but he also encouraged women to be sexy and more confident, emphasizing rather than hiding their bodies.

The Versace family photographed by Alfa Castaldi in 1977. The parents, their three children, and their nanny, Tinuccia.

The exhibition pays particular attention to the influence London had on him: both as an inspiration for his creations, primarily punk aesthetics, and as a place where he was appreciated and celebrated and where he dressed three celebrities with whom he also cultivated a deep friendship: Elton John, Princess Diana and George Michael.