Gianni Versace Retrospective

Designed as a grand visual narrative, the exhibition brings together extraordinary raw material for lovers of clothing and imagery: iconic dresses, fabric samples, fitting Polaroids, vintage invitations, and photographic prints engage in dialogue within rooms where the scenography prioritizes rhythm and sensuality. Nathalie Crinière, collaborating with Tomoko Nishiki, stages a presentation alternating between the reconstruction of the Milan atelier and spaces evoking the atmosphere of fashion shows. Visitors follow the creation of a design from the sketch on the table to the completed silhouette. The journey covers the twenty years during which Versace shaped a visual language immediately recognizable: opulence of patterns, precision of draping, love of the spectacular. By balancing instruction and sensation, the exhibition reveals both the artisan gesture and the cultural impact of the house, showing how a design studio becomes a global image machine. It is a rare opportunity to see gathered in one place the diversity and coherence of a body of work that changed how fashion tells its story.

The curators are Saskia Lubnow and Karl von der Ahé. Saskia Lubnow, trained in fashion and brand management in Italy, and Karl von der Ahé, a cultural studies specialist, have worked on Versace’s oeuvre since 2017 and have presented this retrospective in several European capitals, each edition rethought for its host location. The introduction via the atelier allows observation of the creative act: sketchbooks, fabric swatches, fitting Polaroids, and vintage invitations cover the work tables and make tangible the path from idea to finished garment. It’s a masterclass in craft, offered with elegance and pedagogy.

Recreated catwalks at the heart of the museum convey the energy and rhythm of the shows. Silhouettes worn by the supermodels of the 1990s—Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer, Carla Bruni, and Nadège Dubospertus—are presented, embodying the power and media visibility of the house. The exhibition shows how the brand built its image around faces that became icons and how provocation blended with glamour to create an immediately recognizable spectacle.

The ‘South Beach’ section reflects the designer’s attachment to Miami, where he purchased Casa Casuarina in 1992: pastels, tropical motifs, and the voluptuousness of the clothing evoke a sun-drenched glamour designed for the body and movement. These pieces respond to other registers of the journey, more graphic or baroque, and to more radical collections, such as the fall-winter 1992 ‘Miss S&M’ collection, which introduced leather, harnesses, and fetish references into haute couture. Throughout the exhibition, the silhouettes engage in dialogue with fashion photography, highlighting the permeability between garment design, contemporary art, and pop culture.