Gianni Versace Spring 1992 Jacket

This black printed silk jacket from Gianni Versace’s Spring 1992 collection is an iconic piece from one of the designer’s most celebrated shows. Worn in the finale, when models flooded the stage wearing these jackets, it symbolises the collection’s joyful, confident spirit. Though cut like a casual denim jacket, it is in fact crafted from richly printed silk - a luxurious reinterpretation that recalls the elegance of Hermès scarves. The whimsical ballerina motif, rendered in vivid colour, reveals some of the season's inspirations: Baroque, 18th-century romanticism, and Jean Louis Fragonard's 1767 painting The Swing (the show opened with supermodel Milla Jovovich on a flower-smothered swing).

The fabric contrasts with the jacket’s structured, utilitarian form, while chunky gold-tone metal Medusa buttons - along the front and on the two flap pockets - add an unmistakable Versace signature. This high-low look was anarchic at the time, and the designer stated to Vogue, "Fashion is no longer about night and day. It is about how you feel, what you are, and how you express yourself. Today women have the confidence to mix extreme opposites.” A legacy defining quote, and a legacy-defining garment.

• Versace Spring 1992 • Silk jacket • Ballerina print • Flap pockets • Medusa buttons • Unlined

Fabric: Silk
Size on Label: No size label
Stretch: No
Care: Dry clean only
Condition: Excellent condition

Bust: 91.5 cm (36 inch)
Waist: 86.5 cm (34 inch)
Bottom hem: 71 cm (28 inch)
Length: 45.5 cm (18 inch)