The first and largest exhibition of its kind in the UK, featuring over 450 original pieces!
A major new Gianni Versace Retrospective comes to the UK for the first time this summer opening at Arches London Bridge from 16th July 2025. Honouring the legacy of a designer who transformed the fashion world, the exhibition will feature the largest collection of vintage Gianni Versace designs ever to be displayed in the UK with over 450 original vintage garments, accessories, personal sketches, interviews and photographs which showcase the designer’s craftsmanship, innovation, and unmistakable aesthetic.
His unique retrospective celebrates a visionary designer whose groundbreaking work catapulted the Versace brand to a level of great international success that has sustained almost 30 years after his death. From opulent baroque prints to daring bondage designs, Gianni Versace’s visionary collections revolutionised fashion.
The Gianni Versace Retrospective is presented on a London stage for the first time at Arches London Bridge and reflects the many ways the city and its people inspired the designer’s work.
His closest friend was Elton John, already a hero of British pop music at the time who famously owned every silk shirt by Gianni Versace; a collection of these iconic designs is now on display. Princess Diana became a close confidante and a symbol of reinvention wearing his clothes. Looks, collections and documents that tell of these relationships feature throughout the retrospective.
Boldly reinvented every season, Gianni Versace’s designs are showcased in the exhibition through a vibrant chronology of looks on display from 21 collections (Spring/Summer 1988 – Autumn/Winter 1997-98). Original runway show footage, videos, magazines and photographs displayed alongside, underscore the rapid changes in aesthetics during these years.
As the exhibition looks back, it considers how the nostalgic appeal of the '90s Versace aesthetic underpins our current understanding of identity, fame, and consumption today. From social media influencers to the resurgence of '90s-inspired aesthetics, the obsession with personal reinvention and excess remains ever-present, where trends are rapidly recycled and reinterpreted.
Listings
Gianni Versace Retrospective:16 July 2025
Arches London Bridge, 8 Bermondsey St, London SE1 2ER
Presale: Tuesday 20th May 10am - Public on-sale: Wednesday 21st May 10am
Sign up for priority access HERE
Further Information: Arches London Bridge