JADAR

Whilst London was blessed with several huge fashion and pop culture exhibitions and experiences last year – from NAOMI at the V&A to VOGUE: Inventing the Runway at Lightroom – this year has been a little dry, save for one highly anticipated exhibition at Arches London Bridge, following last year’s Marilyn. Gianni Versace Retrospective is the UK’s largest retrospective of its kind dedicated solely to the late great fashion designer.

Decades after his murder, Gianni Versace remains one of the biggest names in fashion, not only because of his distinctive designs and signature style, but also his revolutionary approach to fashion, from reinventing classic styles to fusing the worlds of celebrity and fashion. He rewrote the rules of fashion and changed the industry forever.

Nestled in the cavernous walls of Arches London Bridge, the exhibition feels like an unearthed old archive. This atmosphere worked better for the Marilyn Monroe exhibition, what with all the secrecy and scandal surrounding her life, and the personal nature of some of the items, such as unfinished beauty products. Versace, however – though promiscuous, like Marilyn (and murdered – like Marilyn?) – does not have the same aura of mystique surrounding his life, and the items on display in this exhibition are mostly just his designs (and some random mundane personal items). The gorgeous recreation of his studio, complete with real items, is the closest this exhibition gets to voyeurism.

The linear exhibition takes visitors on a chronological journey from the spring-summer 1988 season to autumn-winter 1997-98. We learn a little bit about his early life, including his influences, and there are small references to his murder, but it does not go into detail – avoiding scandal as much as it can. The exhibition, then, feels a little sanitised; it’s what one would expect from an exhibition curated by the designer’s estate, not an independent exhibition.

I appreciate that the curators want the focus to be on the art but Versace was informed by his personal life and experiences, and his icon status goes far beyond his artistry, just like Marilyn. He was murdered by a scorned lover; his life was cut short, and the world missed out on decades of more revolutionary Gianni Versace designs (fortunately, the house, with his sister, Donatella, at the helm, has produced many iconic pieces, such as JLO’s green gown – which is literally responsible for the invent of Google Images!).

The exhibition opens with a bang: a semi-circular display of Elton John’s collection of long-sleeved silk shirts. Elton collected all of Versace’s shirts, and he never even wore half of them; they were collectible items to him. We are immediately informed of Versace’s links with celebrities, which informs the rest of the experience; it’s a thread.

The exhibition excellently highlights how Versace was key to the rise of supermodels, the celebrity infiltration of fashion, and the fusion of fashion, music and entertainment that has grown stronger ever since.

The large space at the end is dedicated to celebrities, with items worn by everyone from Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Collins (the poor man’s Elizabeth Taylor?) to Naomi Campbell. There is also another (subtler) version of “THAT Dress” worn by Elizabeth Hurley. Held together by several oversized gold safety pins, the infamous dress launched Hurley onto the global media stage.

The most impressive exhibit – the grand finale, perhaps – consists of a white staircase, adorned with mannequins wearing some of Versace’s most beautiful designs. There is a freakish clash of colours and designs that would only work for a designer as proudly outlandish and ostentatious as Gianni Versace.

The timing of this retrospective is notable: Versace was recently acquired by the Prada group for 1.2 billion Euro, with Donatella leaving the brand, thus ending 46 years of Versace control over Versace.

Gianni Versace Retrospective is a tantalising tribute to a man who changed fashion forever – and for the better.

Gianni Versace Retrospective runs at Arches London Bridge until March 1 2026.