Exhibition of the work of the fashion designer to open in London

A large exhibition of the creations of the Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace is to be staged in London this summer.

The show will include more than 450 original pieces, including the outfits carried by Princess Diana, Kate Moss, Sir Elton John, Naomi Campbell and George Michael.

Gianni Versace’s retrospective will open London Bridge on July 16, the organizers saying that this would “give visitors a kaleidoscopic view of the 90s”.

Versace was one of the most influential designers of his generation until he was murdered in 1997. After his death, his sister Donatella took office as creative director of the company.

The previous iterations of the retrospective exhibition visited the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Sweden and Spain, but the organizers have said that it had never been shown in the form it would take in London.

The program has been updated and extended to the United Kingdom, presenting 21 seasons of Versace Creations, while a new feature – Gianni Versace in London – will be added.

Conservative Karl von der Ahe said that the launch of the exhibition in London seemed “particularly significant”, describing the city as “one of the world’s capitals of fashion”.

“The daring and shameless vision of Gianni Versace has revolutionized fashion, and this city – so rich in creativity and cultural influence – offers the perfect scene to celebrate its heritage,” he said.

The organizers said that the exhibition would present the largest collection of Vintage Versace conceptions to display in the United Kingdom, and also include accessories, sketches, photographs and interviews alongside the outfits.

Liz Koravos, Director General of Arches London Bridge, described Versace as a “genius of her time”.

“Gianni Versace is so linked to modern culture and its heritage is durable, a brand of a talented designer,” she said.

• Born in 1946, Gianni Versace was known for his daring, flamboyant and glamorous drawings, which often presented bright colors and baroque prints

• His interest in fashion has developed at a young age, with learning in his mother’s sewing activities, and he began to make a name for himself as a designer in the 1970s

• Versace launched its fashion brand in 1978 and began to have a major success during the following decade

• His brand has become known for his opulence and aspiration, with Versace often using luxury materials in his work, but he was not afraid of being daring and provocative – a 1992 collection referring to the easement and fetish strings

• Sir Elton was a close friend and was known to have each silk shirt that the designer had produced, while Versace clothes were also worn by Princess Diana and seen at the time as part of her reinvention

• Versace played a decisive role in the rise of the model in the 1990s and worked in close collaboration with two models in particular – Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell – with whom he produced several memorable campaigns

• Versace has often linked its fashion to The Music World-George Michael’s video for Freedom has seen Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington-Sync-Sync-Sync Les Lymes de la Chanson in the video clip, as well as on a Versace gateway For one of its fashion shows in 1991

• The Italian designer was murdered at the age of 50 in Miami on July 15, 1997. He was shot in the head by serial killer Andrew Cunanan by returning from his local newspaper merchants. Cunanan committed suicide eight days after the murder of Versace