Chances are high that pieces from Gianni Versace’s last show will be included in the Costume Institute’s upcoming exhibition, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” The designer included cross-embellished pieces in the lineup, and there were also beautifully draped looks, some in metal mesh that recalled medieval sculptures or religious mosaics.
It’s a tradition that couture shows close with a bride. Here, Naomi Campbell was given the role and a mini rhinestone-studded mesh gown to wear “down the aisle.” Within the context of the theme, Versace was cast as a chivalrous warrior, upholding the age-old craft of the couture and championing a vision of fashion that was brash, beautiful, and unapologetic. About a year before presenting this collection, when asked what his contribution to fashion was, Versace answered “an attitude of freedom. But I feel I have a long way to go.” No one could have imagined his path would have been cut so violently short. Versace was murdered in Miami about a week after this Paris show.
