The man who defined 80’s fashion and created the supermodels decided to face the next decade with a new challenge: Atelier Versace, an approach to high fashion (Italian haute couture). The National Museum of Decorative Arts (Calle Montalbán, 12) now recovers in this free exhibition part of its archive of the Italian designer’s early collections, along with the work of other contemporaries, and objects that give context to his work.
180 pieces, including 120 dresses, donated to the museum by a close friend of the designer in 2001 have made possible the exhibition Gianni Versace in front of the mirror. This was one of the largest donations made to this institution, which is now allied with the Embassy of Italy to delve into the concerns of Gianni Versace (Calabria, 1946 – Miami, 1997), and references to the history of the transalpine country, so common in his designs.
what pieces can be seen in this free fashion exhibition?
Being a collection made by a private buyer, it is not only the work of the early years of Atelier Versace that is shown in this exhibition, there are also haute couture pieces by Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Ungaro or Givenchy from the 80s and 90s, which help to understand the fashion of the moment.
Haute couture is defined by the creation of unique pieces, custom-made and with certain hours of work by hand -generally produced in Paris or Italy- and its buyers are historically very scarce, both because of the prices and the exclusivity of the fashion houses, so the conservation of these collections is done as if they were works of art.
The National Museum of Decorative Arts has also taken advantage of its heterogeneous archive of objects from different periods to which Gianni Versace makes reference in many of his designs. Chinese robes from the seventeenth century, cameos from the eighteenth century and a series of other curious pieces of great artisanal relevance with which to better understand the work of a fashion designer.
Admission to the museum’s temporary exhibitions is free, while general admission to the permanent collection is €3. The exhibition Gianni Versace in front of the mirror will run until October 6.