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Gianni Versace, long celebrated for his provocative, high-glamour aesthetic, is the subject of the UK’s largest retrospective to date, now open at Arches London Bridge through March 2026. The exhibition brings together over 450 original garments, accessories, sketches, and photographs, offering a sweeping look at the Italian designer’s enduring legacy and impact on fashion and pop culture.
While Versace’s bondage-style dresses and daring silhouettes are iconic, the retrospective gives equal prominence to his opulent silk shirts, vivid, intricately patterned pieces that defined the 1990s menswear scene. Elton John, a close friend of Versace’s and longtime collector, once described them as “works of art,” many of which he purchased simply to display as part of an in-home installation.
The exhibition, which includes items worn by Princess Diana, George Michael, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, and Sir Elton John himself, traces Versace’s evolution from the founding of his eponymous brand in 1978 through to his final collections in the late 1990s. It also features rarely-seen items from private collectors, curated by Saskia Lubnow and Karl von der Ahe, who have studied Versace’s archive since 2017 and previously staged exhibitions in Berlin and Málaga.
One key feature of the London show is a striking black wall adorned with silk shirts in elaborate prints, many in the brand’s signature Barocco style. The installation honours Versace’s flamboyant creativity and his bond with London, a city where he had deep ties, both personal and professional. In 1985, he held an exhibition at the V&A Museum, signalling his early interest in connecting Italian fashion with the broader cultural pulse of London and beyond.
The retrospective arrives at a poignant moment for the fashion house. In early 2025, Donatella Versace announced her departure as chief creative officer after nearly three decades at the helm following Gianni’s tragic death in 1997. Her successor, Dario Vitale, marks a generational shift and the first time a non-family member will lead the creative direction of the brand. Against this backdrop, the retrospective serves as a tribute to Gianni’s singular vision and a reminder of the house’s roots before it enters a new era.
Versace’s connection with celebrity was instrumental to his success. From Madonna and Prince to Tupac Shakur and Demi Moore, he dressed cultural icons and, in many ways, helped shape their public personas. Elton John became an unofficial ambassador for the label, wearing Versace on stage and in daily life. Marcus Schenkenberg, one of the first male supermodels, recalls his introduction to the designer as transformative: “He was always very kind… everybody wanted to work with him, it could really make your career.”
Indeed, Versace revolutionized the relationship between fashion and fame. His shows became spectacles that blurred the lines between the runway and popular culture. One of the most memorable moments came in 1991, when supermodels Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, and Linda Evangelista walked the runway together, each reportedly paid up to $30,000, a staggering figure at the time. The scene became emblematic of a new era where designers, models, and celebrities co-existed at the center of the cultural zeitgeist.
The exhibition features pieces from the designer’s most transformative collections, spanning from spring/summer 1988 through fall/winter 1997. Lubnow and von der Ahe chose to organize the works chronologically to highlight how Versace evolved while maintaining a distinct visual language. “He changed so much from collection to collection,” noted Lubnow, “but there is a red thread. He could mix patterns and colours. You never looked like a clown, but actually quite sophisticated.”
Beyond aesthetics, Versace’s work reflects deeper layers of Italian history and culture. “You might think everything is superficial, the bold fashion, but when you work with it, you really understand a lot about Italian culture and the time,” von der Ahe remarked. His ability to translate personal heritage, baroque influences, streetwear elements, and haute couture sensibilities into wearable statements is one of the reasons his work remains so resonant.
Perhaps the exhibition’s power lies in its sense of nostalgia as well as celebration. Visitors are reminded not only of garments and runway moments, but of feelings, iconic visuals that have imprinted themselves in cultural memory. As Lubnow aptly put it, Versace’s designs were never just clothes. “They are showstoppers.”