From Versace's Medusa logo to its famed '90s bondage collection, founding designer Gianni Versace's lasting mark on the Italian fashion house lives on through public memory, the cyclical nature of fashion trends, and his sister, the iconic Donatella Versace.

At a time when many of his peers favored austere minimalism, <a href="https://www.biography.com/fashion-designer/gianni-versace" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gianni Versace</a> stayed true to himself. The brilliant designer&rsquo;s flashy signature looks set him apart from anyone else in the fashion world. With bondage-inspired gowns, vibrant prints, and metallic mini-skirts, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/influential-fashion-families-hermes-fendi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gianni and his namesake label</a> pushed the boundaries of fashion. Ever an innovator of design, when a technique or fabric that Gianni wanted did not exist, he invented it.
He also changed the fashion landscape&ndash;he&nbsp;helped launch the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/naomi-campbell-young-model-90s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supermodel</a> and, by dressing famous musicians, became one of the first designers to really blend the music and fashion worlds. Gianni was tragically murdered outside his <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/fendi-peekaboo-sarah-coleman-design-miami-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miami</a> residence, the famous Versace mansion, in 1997 at just 50 years old, but his genius lives on through his legendary designs and through his sister, Donatella Versace, who works at the helm of the fashion house he founded.
Today, the Versace label continues to reference motifs and symbols that Gianni established, building on his legacy and upholding him as one of the most innovative designers in fashion history. In reverence of the visionary designer,&nbsp;L'OFFICIEL&nbsp;takes a look at some Gianni's most enduring design choices, which have persisted through Donatella Versace's collections, interior design in the Versace Mansion, and a recent surge of archival pieces on the red carpet.&nbsp;

yasmeen-ghauri-versace-90s-runway.jpg

versace-spring-2021-medusa-bag.jpg

One of the most recognizable luxury fashion symbols in the industry is the house of Versace&rsquo;s logo&mdash;the head of Medusa, one of three Gorgons in Greek mythology. Gianni, an avid art history enthusiast, was inspired by the Italian ruins he grew up near as well as by the classical stories and mythologies that dominated much of Italian art.
Hailing from the Greco-Roman tradition, Medusa was a beautiful woman who became a monster after suffering a curse from a god. Her flowing golden hair turned to snakes, and anyone who dared look at her face was immediately turned to stone. Though a ghastly monster may seem an odd choice for a luxury fashion house, Versace selected Medusa to represent his brand. Before her transformation, anyone who looked at Medusa had no choice but to fall in love with her, and after she became a monster, even those who were horrified by her appearance could never look away, given that they were frozen in place as a stone statue.
Gianni's understanding and elevation of the <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/medu/hd_medu.htm#:~:text=The%20snake%2Dhaired%20Medusa%20does,turning%20her%20hair%20to%20snakes.">Medusa myth</a> reflect his remarkable ability to reconcile modern fashion with ancient classical culture. The Medusa logo has also appeared as part of the Versace Fragrance line, which has become one of the most successful luxury perfume ventures in the industry. The Medusa logo has endured throughout the house's history as an emblematic symbol of the brand and Gianni's original creative vision for himself as well as the fashion world at large.&nbsp;

baroqueprint-gianniversace-90s-jacket-metalprint-silk-bomber.jpg

beyonce-versace-baroque.jpg

Gianni&rsquo;s love of art history was concerned particularly with the colorful, intricate works of the Baroque period, an outgrowth of the counter-Reformation period in which the Catholic church relied on expressive art to communicate. Drawing on the elaborate iconography and color palettes of the era, Versace created series after series of <a href="https://www.thefader.com/2011/10/20/anatomy-of-a-trend-versaces-baroque-print" target="_blank" rel="noopener">period-inspired Barocco prints</a>, first introducing the motif for Spring/Summer 1992. Celebrities like <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/lil-kim-birthday-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lil&rsquo; Kim</a> and the Notorious B.I.G. loved these brilliant pieces, frequently wearing and referencing them until Versace&rsquo;s bright designs became a part of the cultural lexicon, which Donatella Versace has continued representing in modern Versace collections.&nbsp;
The designer often used silk or other reflective fabrics for these prints to give his designs a fluid, metallic feeling that can be seen in ultra-pigmented Baroque paintings. These styles have become especially popular among performers like Beyonce, who <a href="https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/2160685/beyonce-shu-qi-celebs-are-embracing-versaces-bold" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outfitted her whole dance crew</a> in Versace&rsquo;s Barocco print in 2018. In recent collections created by Donatella Versace, the fashion house has even offered a Caravaggio print, inspired by the visionary Baroque-era artist.
Gianni's appreciation for the Baroque style doesn't stop at his fashion creations. The designer included interior style details in his Miami abode, colloquially known as the Versace Mansion. Elements of baroque style, like flamboyant, extravagant ornamentations can be seen everywhere from from the baseboards to the staircase railings.&nbsp;

Models wear gold Versace Oroton dresses in the 1990s.

Iconic supermodels Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Helena Christensen close the Versace Spring/Summer 2018 show wearing Oroton dresses next to Donatella Versace.  Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Metallics have been all over the runways in recent years, particularly on the Fall/Winter 2024 runways, where designers presented pieces ranging from sharp stiletto heels to oversized puffer jackets that appeared to be molten metal. This shiny trend can be traced back to Gianni Versace, who developed one of the leading techniques for creating metallic materials back in the '80s.&nbsp;
To pursue the bold, shimmery metallic garments of his dreams, Gianni invented the now-popular mesh-like metallic fabric Oroton. The chainmail textile resembles a reflective fluid metal. Versace first <a href="http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/g/gianni-versace/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">developed</a> the lightweight fabric in 1982 and premiered it at a fashion show at the Paris Opera.
The textile was meant to resemble traditional old-world draping, a hallmark of Versace&rsquo;s garments; the designer was known for forgoing conventional sewing patterns, and instead constructed all his garments by draping cloth directly onto a model. Recently, stars like <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/dua-lipa-new-ruler-reign-music" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dua Lipa</a> and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/tags/kyliejenner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kylie Jenner</a> have rocked custom Oroton dresses, showing that the style is versatile for the runways and red carpets alike.&nbsp;

versace-bondage-collection-1992.jpg

candice-swanepoel-versace-bondage-fall-2019.jpg

donatella-bondage-dress.jpg

The Italian fashion house's designs often celebrate female sexual expression, breaking beyond the simplicity of revealing clothing in favor of more sensually open designs. While many designers of the era promoted their collections as sexually liberating, Gianni pushed the boundary in this movement, creating clothing that celebrated a form of female sensuality that was not held back by guilt, shame, or fear.
For Fall/Winter 1992, Gianni created the Miss S and M collection, now often referred to as his bondage collection. Strappy, sensual black <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/10-leather-items-fall-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leather</a> looks with metal detailing, another one of Gianni's signature styles, alluded to a celebration of bondage and kink culture, especially as it relates to leather. As a result, the collection was polarizing, to say the least, and quickly became a target for disavowal. Many critics felt the collection reduced women to sensual objects, while others found it uniquely empowering in its boldness. Donatella Versace, who has sported attire from the famous collection on several occasions, <a href="https://www.crfashionbook.com/fashion/a26478310/versace-fallwinter-2019-show-bondage-dress/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paid homage</a> to the original bondage collection for Versace Fall/Winter 2019, bringing back the straps and buckles in a refreshed, personalized take on Gianni's bold style.&nbsp;

versace-gold-medallion-naomi-campbell.jpg

versace-pre-fall-2019-gigi-hadid.jpg

Many of Versace&rsquo;s collections featured heavy metal detailing. Gianni often pushed the boundaries of clothing, featuring metallic details in his collections before the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/2010-fashion-trends-celebrity-tumblr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Valentino Rockstud</a> rose to fame, both of which have acted as inspiration for the grungy current rivets trend. Gianni experimented with extensive hardware throughout his career, as seen in metallic details ranging from the safety pin dress to linked chains.&nbsp;
Though he did use silver from time to time, Gianni often primarily worked in Baroque-inspired gold tones. From using chains as the straps of tops to designing couture pins or accenting dresses with huge metal embellishments, the designer essentially incorporated jewelry into his garments.&nbsp;

Naomi Campbell wearing a Versace dress in 1990. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

A man of many interests, Gianni was inspired by pop culture, as well as by high art. The designer created an entire pop art-inspired collection for Spring/Summer 1991, where he incorporated <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/art/andy-warhol-creator-american-dream-remembering" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andy Warhol&rsquo;s</a> screen prints of <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/fashion/remembering-marilyn-monroe-fashion-legacy%20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marilyn Monroe</a> and James Dean into his clothing. As a tribute to her brother's visionary spirit, Donatella Versace revisited this iconic collection through Versace's Spring/Summer 2018 collection, which commemorated the 20th anniversary of Gianni's death and also offered Donatella an opportunity to show off her own design prowess in the realm of pop art fashion.&nbsp;
Gianni often used the pop art technique of repeating iconography throughout a work, a style popularized by Warhol. An avowed fan of contemporary art, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-feb-05-et-quick5.5-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sotheby&rsquo;s</a> sold the designer&rsquo;s personal collection of 20th-century pieces for over $13 million in a 2009 auction. Included in the collection were pieces by Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Henri Matisse, and Edgar Degas&mdash;an impressive bevy of works by some of the most famous artists in the world, which Gianni amassed throughout his lifetime.&nbsp;

safetypin-elizabethhurley-versace-hughgrant-versacesignature-gianniversace.jpg

Elizabeth Hurley created her place in fashion history and cemented her status as a style icon when she went to the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral in a Versace safety pin dress. Now, the look is so famous that it has its <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Versace_dress_of_Elizabeth_Hurley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">own Wikipedia page</a>. The Spring/Summer 1994 creation was split at the sides and thigh and was held together with large safety pin embellishments.
Originally, Hurley wore the dress to the event because, at the time, she could not afford to buy her own for the evening. She accompanied Hugh Grant to the event as his date, and the actor asked Versace to lend her a dress for the evening, but the gown was the only item left in the fashion house&rsquo;s press office. Luckily for Hurley, the gown fit and, after it was paired with gold hoops and a chunky matching bracelet, it quickly became one of the most iconic looks of the &lsquo;90s.
Though some critics called the gown lewd and expressed shock at the revealing nature of the split seams, Hurley defended Gianni&rsquo;s work. The actress and model said that &ldquo;unlike many other designers, Versace designs clothes to celebrate the female form rather than eliminate it," shutting down any further disapproval. Hurley's son Damian was equally taken with the emblematic safety pin look that his mother sported back in the '90s, and was inspired to <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/stylish/news/elizabeth-hurleys-son-damian-makes-safety-pin-dress-tribute" target="_blank" rel="noopener">create his own tribute blazer</a> in 2019. As a mark of its enduring legacy, the safety pin motif has frequently appeared in Versace collections since Gianni's passing, as seen in the earrings, accessories, and new iterations of the historic black safety pin dress that have been debuted under Donatella Versace's creative direction.&nbsp;

Karen Mulder on the Versace runway in the '90s. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Helena Christensen on the Versace runway in the '90s. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Zendaya wearing a vintage Versace dress at the Green Carpet Fashion Awards. Photo courtesy

The brilliant designer loved using reflective materials to draw the eye. Gianni often employed heavy embellishments to create recognizable symbols and simply create beautiful patterns. Using intricate beading, sequins, and embroidered stones, the designer added visual interest, color, and form to his clothing through a radical use of embellished details. From blinged-out dresses to more simple sparkly adornments, Gianni was an expert at manipulating light to capture the attention of viewers, a skill that Donatella Versace employs as the head of the house today.&nbsp;
A testament to his creative vision, his original embellished designs are still beloved by stars today. Recently, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/zendaya-vintage-versace-green-carpet-fashion-awards-law-roach-kate-moss" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zendaya wore an archival 1996 beaded silk Versace dress</a> to the Green Carpet Awards.

Jennifer Lopez wearing Versace in the 2000s. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Jennifer Lopez wearing Versace Spring/Summer 2020. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Karen Mulder wearing a seashell print Versace look. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Versace Spring/Summer 2021. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Though Jennifer Lopez wore that famous <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/j-lo-grammys-dress-versace-runway-2019">jungle dress</a> after Gianni passed, his influence is all over the infamous gown. Not only does the garment push boundaries to celebrate the female form, but its bright, leafy print screams signature Versace. Gianni himself loved Miami, and helped bring national attention to the local South Beach fashion scene. Given his love for the city&mdash;as evidenced by the famous Versace mansion&mdash;it&rsquo;s not a surprise that he gravitated toward tropical flora and fauna prints. In the &lsquo;90s, the designer debuted a number of seashell and starfish-printed designs, also carrying underwater motifs to gold accessories. Donatella Versace revived this inspiration with an <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/donatella-versace-curvy-models-milan-fashion-precious-lee-jill-kortleve-naomi-campbell#image-54490">Atlantis-themed Spring/Summer 2021</a> show.

The Meaning Behind Gianni Versace's Fashion Signatures

Tags

Related Articles

Fashion

10 of Fashion's Most Influential Families

Fashion

Cillian Murphy Is The New Face of Versace

Fashion

The Legacy of Donatella Versace's Bondage Dress

Recommended posts for you

Pop culture

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly Call It Quits

Fashion

Eternal Treasures: New Icons From Tiffany & Co. Meet Their Archival Counterparts

Shopping

23 Holiday-Ready Pieces to Nail Your Festive Season Outfits

Shopping

24 Stocking Stuffers They Won't Regift

Pop culture

All the Celebrities Spotted at Art Basel Miami Beach 2024

Shopping

35 Gifts Your Fashion-Forward Friend Actually Wants

Shopping

The Ultimate Winter Fragrances to Keep in Rotation

Shopping

27 Splurge Gifts to Treat Yourself This Holiday Season