Gianni Versace SS1992 Baroque Silk Shirt

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

Gianni Versace first introduced his now iconic Baroque motif in his Spring/Summer 1992 collection. In contrast to the brand’s more classic designs of the 1980s, the elaborate prints became emblematic of 90s Versace, considered by many to be the house’s golden era.

Barocco-inspired motifs featured heavily throughout the SS92 collection, though perhaps most notably on silk shirts. Angels and cherubs - oft associated with the ornate Italian artistic tradition - were replaced by embellished gold chains and Medusa heads. Silk was chosen as the fabric’s light, reflective nature referenced the polished fluidity seen in pigmented Baroque paintings. The shirts were an instant hit; embraced by celebrities and with aspirational $1500 USD price tags in tow, they quickly became part of the cultural lexicon. As Versace himself puts it, they symbolised “a period when we had freedom without caution.”

The shirt’s bright blue base is littered with elaborate gold embellishments and completed with black rectangular accents. Multiple gold medusas feature, while a large motif of goddesses with flutes surrounded by bejewelled swords adorns the rear. As with many of his creations, Versace designed his pieces around Miami’s warm climate, and the weight and looseness of this piece lends well for summer. Gianni was pictured wearing two very similar iterations of this silk shirt, one of which beside Elton John at the opening of the new Versace store in London in 1992.

An array of Versace silk shirts can be seen in the photobook, South Beach Stories, a collaboration between Gianni and his sister Donatella, with photographs by Doug Ordway. Some 25 years on, interior designer, Sasha Birkhoff, created an installation paying homage to Versace’s love of Miami and his 1993 Miami Beach collection for Art Basel Miami in 2019. Many Baroque silk shirts like this one featured.

Made in Italy.

100% Silk

Condition: A few light marks and fading, otherwise perfect.

SIZE & FIT:

Size: 48

Fit: Relaxed. Can accomodate a 48 - 52.

Measurements:

• Shoulder Width: 62cm

• Pit-to-Pit: 62cm

• Sleeve Length: 56cm

• Back Length: 77.5cm

All measurements are taken with the garment laid flat.