Which fashion designer was the subject of the Met’s 1998 exhibition “Gianni Versace”?

Gianni Versace was the subject of the Met’s 1998 exhibition titled “Gianni Versace.”

The exhibition honored the Italian designer’s influential career and his fashion house’s distinctive visual language. Versace became known for vivid color, bold prints, body-conscious silhouettes, theatrical styling, and the use of materials such as metal mesh. His designs connected runway fashion with popular music, celebrity culture, and performance.

Versace founded his company in Milan in 1978 and quickly became one of the most internationally recognized designers of the late twentieth century. The exhibition followed his death in 1997 and documented the impact of his work through garments and related material.

A frequent confusion is between the exhibition title and the name of the fashion house. The show was titled “Gianni Versace,” while the company is generally known as Versace. The Met gala and exhibition took place in 1998.