Where were you in 1992? I was still in high school and believed the height of fashionable dressing to hinge on a certain Esprit sweater worn with matching socks.
But on the catwalks of New York City, history was being made: This was the year that Gianni Versace debuted a spring collection filled with an array of wildly printed silks that have since become iconic. Famously inspired by the Jean-Honoré Fragonard painting The Swing (the show, in fact, opened with one Milla Jovovich perched on a blossom-strewn swing), the rococo extravaganza paraded down the runway on the likes of Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista, Carla Bruni, and just about every other ’90s supermodel you can think of. (For context, here are photos of the show in a slideshow format. Naturally, we have Vogue to thank for this delectable treat from the archives.)
It’s been 20 years since Gianni Versace’s untimely death. When a brand reaches a milestone anniversary it’s usually a joyous occasion, but when a narrative of loss has become part of your brand’s heritage, what do you do to mark the occasion? You do a tribute collection to honor the designer’s legacy, as Donatella Versace did for SS18. Held at the Triennale museum in Milan, the runway show resurrected key prints from the Versace archives, including Wild Baroque, a standout from spring 1992 that pairs leopard spots with bright gold arabesques and vegetal, gilded-mirror motifs on black.
If your clients aren’t inclined to sport, say, a top in this print, Versace has released a commemorative edition of its V-Circle watch that incorporates Wild Baroque into the leather strap.
Versace Tribute Edition V-Circle watch, $695 each. Available this spring at Versace boutiques, authorized retailers, and versace.com
Designed in two 38 mm case versions (stainless steel or ion-plated gold), the watches are offered with a black or white V-patterned dial, both with a Greek key motif on the réhaut. The timepiece is a collector’s item for those who cherish the splashy, opulent romance of ’90s Versace, fashion in general, or both. Adding to the cachet, only 1,000 Tribute Edition watches will be available globally.
Top: Bella Hadid models the Tribute collection at the SS18 Versace runway show (photo via versace.com)
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