Gianni Versace greets the public after his last fashion show, in July 1997. (Credit: AFP archive photo.)
July 6, 1997. In a hushed room in Paris, beneath the weight of summer heat and quiet anticipation, Gianni Versace presented what would unknowingly become his final Haute Couture show.
The audience was handpicked, the atmosphere solemn, and behind the scenes, a quiet tension pulsed. On this sweltering Parisian evening, Versace bid an unspoken farewell to the world — just nine days before his assassination.
This collection, pure in refinement and rich with symbolism, now feels like a parting testament. Departing from the theatricality that had defined so many of his past shows, the Milanese couturier embraced something far more intimate: a dramatic, almost ceremonial showcase where fashion became meditation. Each silhouette, sculpted with reverence, felt like a relic — an offering from a master at the height of his genius.
In retrospect, the show resonates as a quiet prayer, beauty distilled to its essence, from a visionary unknowingly standing at the edge of eternity.
Fashion rock star
From his spectacular presentations to his scandalous campaigns, Versace dreams his life like a novel and burns through it like one of his Vogue cigarettes. An antique art collector, he sleeps beneath Roman frescoes and dines among gilded columns. His Miami home, a neo-baroque palace adorned with mosaics, marble, and Greek statues, remains one of the emblems of his excesses.
Solar, secretive, generous, excessive, he embodies the idea that style is a form of resistance to boredom, a weapon against oblivion. For him, fashion is not a façade but a total language, a celebration of the body and the power it can radiate. He dresses women as modern deities: sovereign, sensual, untouchable. In his eyes, they are neither fragile nor ornamental — they are mythological, electrifying and invincible.
Obsessed with art, opera, architecture, and nightlife, Versace builds a world where decadence becomes prestige. This final show, more internalized yet exceptionally intense, reveals Gianni at 50, graver, almost mystical.
As if, for one evening, he swapped the spotlights for the shadow that had long gnawed at him. At a time when fashion favors sobriety and the cold minimalism of houses like Calvin Klein, Versace chooses a more voyeuristic path. Where trends dictate disappearance, he chooses omnipresent media and night life, which will ultimately cost him his life.
The final works of a master
Under the softened gilding of the Ritz, the house icons parade in a reimagined rococo setting. Naomi Campbell opens the festivities in a structured suit with strong shoulders and closes it in a sparkling silver mesh mini dress — a nod to the tradition of bridal looks closing couture shows.
Alongside the sultry British panther, Amber Valletta, Stella Tennant, Esther Cañadas (and Karen Elson, initially set to present the final dress) all wear sculpted silhouettes adorned with crystal Byzantine crosses and subtle, refined cruciforms, blending majestic volumes, sensuality, and discipline.
Makeup with smoky eyes and slicked-back hair evokes a finely chiseled face, while capes worn like reliquaries and beaded corsets create almost architectonic forms. The soundtrack — sober, dramatically ritualistic — transports the audience to a sacred space, shaped by the intensity of each passage.
In the room, a constellation of celebrities illuminates the front row. Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, Elton John, Sharon Stone, and even Michael Jackson — all gathered to celebrate, unknowingly, the last act of the pope of European extravagance.
The day after the presentation, the press reacts with restraint. Some express shock at the darker tone, less flamboyant than usual, but most praise the sophistication and salute the collection as an exercise in mastery. The event, deliberately discreet and minimally documented visually, left few official photographic traces. The silence surrounding it amplifies its myth, although several rare pieces from the Fall/Winter 1997 Haute Couture collection have been worn by celebrities over the years.
Elizabeth Hurley was notably photographed in a cross-inlaid corset, emblematic of this show. More recently, Bella Hadid evoked the spirit of this collection at certain events, sporting sculpted silhouettes and adorned touches directly inspired by Gianni’s final vision.
The Donatella era
Gianni Versace shared a deep, artistically intimate bond with his sister Donatella. As both muse, confidante, and creative partner, Donatella knew the designer’s vision and spirit better than anyone.
After the death of her elder brother, shot on July 15, 1997 on the doorstep of his Miami villa by Andrew Cunanan, a serial killer whose motives remain unsolved, the fashion world is plunged into mourning. Gianni is mourned as an incandescent genius, valued as much for his visionary spirit as for his generosity.
Donatella’s takeover is met with mixed emotions, admiration for her courage but also skepticism regarding her ability to preserve the house’s soul. Yet she quickly reignites the Versace flame, injecting her own energy while remaining loyal to her brother’s signature.
Today, under the direction of Dario Vitale — former design director at Miu-Miu appointed creative director — the house continues as a powerful beacon of glamour, blending heritage, innovation, and scandals...
How to recreate the dream in 2025
Reinterpreting the spirit of Versace’s Fall/Winter 1997 Haute Couture in 2025 is to embody a sculptural and magnetic femininity, between antique sensuality and assertive modernity. To revive this grand and intense dream, emphasize strong shapes, fitted dresses, luminous materials, and symbolic details.
In the evening, opt for pieces reminiscent of the charisma of the Ritz silhouettes:
– The oversized long sleeve shoulder pad mini dress by Norma Kamali (approx. USD 260) creates theatrical shoulders worthy of Camplbell’s show opener.
– The Narine Dress by Retrofête (approx. USD 580), all fluidity and shine, evokes the richness of the era’s draping.
– The Carmine Dress by Retrofête (approx. USD 1,250) embodies couture excess with its metallic sheen.
– The Skylar Mini Dress by Michael Costello x Revolve (approx. USD 300) hugs curves with authority, blending glamour and architecture.
– Finally, the Quinn Embellished Mini Dress by Lovers and Friends (approx. USD 360) revives the jeweler’s spirit of the runway’s cruciform embroideries.
To complete your look, slip on a pair of high boots hugging the leg, worn with black tights to elongate the silhouette. For accessories, the statement piece is an oversized cross — worn as a necklace or pin — a sacred nod to the show’s iconic pieces. To finish the beauty look: a satin headband in the hair, a deep smoky eye, nude complexion, and a proud carriage — like a nocturnal goddess back from the ‘90s.
This article was originally published in French by L'Orient-le Jour.
