The Gianni Versace Exhibition is showing at The London Arches until 1st March so you will need to be quick if you wish to see it. I highly recommend that you do. The Arches are about a two minute walk from the Tooley Street exit of London Bridge Station. Entry was £27.50. My only warning is that you will inevitably leave feeling dowdy. I remember that I was in Switzerland when new of Gianni Versace’s tragic murder broke in 1997, it is one of those events you don’t forget. The story was later made into a critically acclaimed drama, The Assassination of Gianni Versace. This exhibition is a retrospective of his 1980s and 90s collections.

What an absolutely spectacular exhibition this is, jam packed with stunningly beautiful pieces. There are over four hundred and fifty garments on display and visitors can get right up close to them, almost nothing is behind glass. This surprised me as the Medusa motif buttons used are so beautiful I wondered if they have a problem with people snipping them off as souvenirs. I had read that this happens in Chanel boutiques. As you walk in, the first display is a selection of men’s silk shirts, many featuring Versace’s iconic Greek Key design (see my cover photo). There is an information card for every garment, accessory and object. At this stage in the exhibition Elton John’s voice is played through the speaker as he tells about his friendship and working relationship with Versace. Next there is a black mesh dress, a little leather bandeau dress and some stunningly jewelled slingback heels. One of my favourite garments was a leather jacket with a jewelled cross on the back.

There are rooms with red carpet and maybe twenty mannequins all wearing bedazzled creations, it is almost as if you need sunglasses. A velvet gold and black brocade suit which is absolutely timeless, gowns galore, swimming costumes with silk robes. In one room you can see the Princess Diana display with slightly more demure jackets and skirts and a crocodile handbag. Of course Diana had the perfect figure for the evening dresses she is pictured wearing . “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down on Me” is playing, sung by Elton John and George Michael and the outfits they are wearing at the concert are on display.

One display does look a little like a 1960s East End wholesalers window with bell bottom trousers paired with floral silk tops.

Of course it was Versace’s safety pin dress that catapulted Elizabeth Hurley’s career into the stratosphere. The dress itself isn’t featured but there are is a short film of her wearing it arriving at the Four Weddings and a Funeral premier with Hugh Grant and some other photos are on display of her looking amazing wearing various Versace creations. I seem to remember her upstaging one poor bride by turning up at a wedding in a Versace gown, slit to the hip, leopard print knickers on full display.

Back in the 1990s I subscribed to Vogue and of course the cover always featured a supermodel, Helena, Christy, Naomi, Linda or Cindy. Who needs surnames? Nowadays very few of us buy physical magazines and actresses and influencers seem to have taken the place of the model. I had forgotten just how other-worldly beautiful these women were, and most of them still are. Helena Christensen features in the film playing at then end of the exhibition, all dark lips and black corsetry. Stephanie Seymour with bouncy hair and huge earrings. Naomi Campbell strutting like Queen of the world, Kate Moss looking impossibly young and grinning from ear to ear.

There are a few nods to Versace’s other endeavours, his line of furniture, perfume and home accessories (there is a black lacquer side table oddly placed by itself next to a display of dresses) a but this retrospective is really all about the fashion. I had in the past thought his style rather gaudy but, close up, everything was just beautiful and it made me long to be young, beautiful and rich because surely that’s who these creations are meant for.

Thank you for reading

Samantha