The first exhibition in the history of the United Kingdom and the largest ever dedicated to the legendary designer Gianni Versace is drawing attention in the very heart of fashionable London. Hosted at Arches London Bridge, the exhibition brings together more than 450 unique exhibits: iconic looks, accessories, and even the maestro’s personal sketches.
The UA.News editorial team has prepared an exclusive report from the interactive exhibition “Gianni Versace. Retrospective”, which invites visitors to shift their focus towards beauty in our lives and immerse themselves in the world of fashion as art — a space for new discoveries and nostalgia for the baroque style of the 1990s.
Gianni Versace’s legacy: a celebration of beauty and glamour
At Arches London Bridge — a venue that previously hosted exhibitions dedicated to Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe — it is now the era of Gianni Versace. According to his biographers, London always inspired the couturier, making it fitting that this unique exhibition is taking place here.
In the fashion industry, Gianni Versace was often referred to as the “golden boy”. The maestro himself once said: “I am simply bold. And the bold usually achieve excellent results.”
The exhibition is designed as a true theatre of Gianni Versace’s fashion. It features 21 of the couturier’s collections from 1987–88. Visitors have a rare opportunity to see everything that defines the Versace style — from vivid baroque prints to provocatively embellished leather outfits.
Many of the items are being shown to the public for the first time. Private collectors, who spent years gathering and preserving Versace garments, accessories and perfumes as relics, contributed to the exhibition.
Gianni Versace’s biographers recall the story behind the creation of the world-famous logo. “When it was time to choose a symbol, I remembered an ancient myth: whoever falls in love with Medusa is beyond salvation,” the couturier explained his idea.
A separate section explores self-expression through clothing in the 1980s and 1990s, when baroque and glamour were at the peak of fashion trends. These looks are gaining renewed relevance today and are being reinterpreted in contemporary approaches to building personal brands.
Gianni Versace and his supermodels
“The woman I dress is beautiful and seductive. I adore women,” Gianni Versace was quoted by one of his most renowned biographers, journalist Minnie Gastel. It is widely believed that he was the one who gave rise to the phenomenon of supermodels in the fashion industry. Unsurprisingly, a significant part of the exhibition is dedicated to this aspect of Versace’s life and work.
The exhibition features items from personal wardrobes and stage costumes worn by Elton John, George Michael, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, members of royal families, and other stars who were fortunate enough to work with Versace.
Visitors can also explore video archives from runway shows, magazine cover photographs, backstage reportage, as well as interviews with models and friends of the designer.
The exhibition “Gianni Versace. Retrospective” stands as a testament to the rare talent and boldness of a couturier who created fashion that continues to live beyond time and influence our ideas of individuality and self-expression, public image and the culture of luxury. The maestro himself believed that “fashion will survive only if it strives to go beyond reality.”
The Versace fashion empire: where it stands today
Notably, the organisers of “Gianni Versace. Retrospective” created the exhibition independently of the Versace family and Versace SRL, focusing on Gianni’s talent and creative legacy rather than on the economic side of the industry.
That said, the fate of the Versace family empire after the couturier’s untimely death in 1997 was also quite dramatic. Until 2018, the Versace fashion house remained largely a family business. Later attempts at global expansion led to unexpected consequences.
The American period
In September 2018, the American group Michael Kors Holdings Ltd acquired 100% of Versace for nearly €2 billion. The new owners planned to turn Versace into a brand with annual revenues of $2 billion, expanding its boutique network with a focus on accessories and footwear. However, the deal proved unsuccessful: by 2024, revenues reached only $1 billion. According to experts, sales declined because Versace’s bold maximalist aesthetic clashed with the trend for “quiet luxury”.
In 2023, Tapestry (owner of Coach and Kate Spade) announced a potential acquisition of Capri Holdings for $8.5 billion. The deal was intended to create an American luxury giant. However, in October 2024, a US court blocked the transaction due to antitrust concerns. This left Versace in a difficult financial position, as Capri Holdings was forced to look for new ways to cover its debts.
Return to Italy
In April 2025, the Italian Prada Group reached an agreement to acquire Versace for $1.375 billion. The transaction was completed in December 2025. As a result, Versace became Italian once again, joining a single luxury holding alongside Prada and Miu Miu.
Lorenzo Bertelli, the son of Prada owners Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli, became Executive Chairman of Versace. He plans to apply Prada’s experience to modernise business processes. For the first time in 30 years, the brand’s creative director is not a member of the Versace family. In 2025, the position was taken by Dario Vitale (formerly a designer at Miu Miu), while 70-year-old Donatella Versace remains with the company as its chief muse and ambassador.
Experts have described Prada’s acquisition of Versace as one of the most high-profile deals of the decade in the luxury industry. It is believed that this merger will strengthen the position of Italian brands in global competition and pave the way for new formats of collaboration and stylistic experimentation.
