London gallery Arches London Bridge has become a shrine to Gianni Versace’s most audacious decade — that glorious stretch between 1988 and 1997 when fashion shows felt like religious experiences. Original pieces number in the hundreds, each whispering secrets of Milan runways where supermodels ruled supreme.
Princess Diana’s razor-sharp tailoring commands the room. Nearby hang Elton John’s legendary silk shirts — those baroque-printed confections he collected obsessively, later confessing he “never wore half of them.” Kate Moss’s archival pieces remind us why the Nineties felt so effortlessly magnetic.
“Versace dresses the mistress, Armani dresses the wife.”
– Anna Wintour
Timing matters in fashion. This retrospective arrives mere months after Donatella’s departure as creative director, reading like both a love letter and a strategic reminder of untouchable glory days.
That black wall of silk shirts steals the show, naturally. Pattern upon glorious pattern, each testament to Versace’s genius for making people feel like the most interesting person in any room. He knew what the fashion world often forgets: clothes should be an event, not an afterthought. The man built an empire on making ordinary mortals feel like magazine covers.
Photos Courtesy Of: ©Arches London Bridge, Getty Images
