Gianni Versace

Richard Martin, Curator in Charge, The Costume Institute, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, has written a conceptual and analytical text that both places Versace's work in historical context and provides new insights into the major inspirations and themes of the designer. In the Introduction, he discusses Versace's relationship with earlier designers' work, and he also clarifies Versace's metamorphosis of the prostitute into a positive, even exuberant expression of glamor and of independence from middle-of-the-road values. The body of the book is divided into seven conceptual sections, each beginning with a text summarizing the topic and each also including a brief discussion of individual costumes. The section titled "The Landmarks" is a retrospective look at Versace's major achievements. "Art" sketches in Versace's relationship with various artists, such as Alexander Calder and Robert and Sonia Delaunay, and emphasizes his particular sympathy for the work of Andy Warhol. In "History," we learn about Versace's creative interpretations of the past, from Byzantine art to the classicism of Madame Gres. "Materials" demonstrates Versace's extremely unusual incorporations of industrial plastics and leather, for example, which he so successfully translated into his own personal forms. Among the costumes in "Word and Image," we find a sparkling Vogue-inspired gown and small black leather dresses emblazoned with Japanese characters. The section on Versace's "Men" demonstrates his revolutionary views of the sensuous male in black leather with studs and fringes, or in brilliantly patterned shirt or jeans. And lastly, there is "The Dream," an evocation of Versace's visions of costumes for the opera and the dance, all of which are pure theater in the hands of this designer.