Sandra‘s Closet

Twenty years ago, a green jungle print gown by Versace broke the internet, and Google Images was born. It was February 2000 when Jennifer Lopez wore the iconic dress, designed by Donatella Versace, to the 42nd Grammy Awards ceremony.

The sheer fabric was printed with a tropical leaf and bamboo pattern, and cut with a very low neckline that extended well past Lopez’s navel, while the waist of the dress was studded with citrines. Seemingly overnight it became a fashion legend, as well as the most popular search query Google had seen at the time. It was often described as a turning point in designer Donatella Versace’s career after the death of her brother, Gianni Versace.

But back in 2000, search results were still just a list of blue links. When the search team realized they weren’t able to directly surface the results that people wanted – a picture of the American recording artist and actress in the dress – they were inspired to create Google Images.

Left: Crystal-embellished printed silk-chiffon gown by Versace (available now)
Right: J. Lo wearing the original design in 2000 to the Grammys

Before it became famous on the red carpet of the Grammy Awards, the dress was presented on the catwalk by model Amber Valletta, and was also featured in Versace’s main advertising campaign that year; Steven Meisel also photographed it on Valletta.

Left: Cutout embellished printed silk-chiffon gown by Versace (available now)
Right: J. Lo with Donatella Versace on the S/S 2020 runway last fall

Two decades later, Donatella Versace showed off a new, revamped green gown in the print for her S/S 2020 collection, and a magic moment in fashion history took place when J. Lo modeled it as the final look of the runway presentation last fall. And is it only me? But I think that J. Lo looks even better than 20 years ago! Just wow!!!

Great news is that you can make these pieces of fashion history your own as both versions are available this season. TO SHOP BOTH VERSACE GOWNS, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

Can you guess which one I went for? I hope this quarantine will be over soon and I get to wear it to a special occasion…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Versace, Net-à-Porter and Google
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This year marks the 20th anniversary of the brutal murder of Gianni Versace in broad daylight in Miami Beach. I will never forget this moment when I saw the news on TV. I was studying fashion design and was at home working on one of my first assignments. At this time, Versace was big. We all dreamt of butterfly prints, safety pins, tight dresses and many more…

Gorgeous as her mother in the nineties… Kaia Gerber, daughter of Cindy Crawford, on the Versace S/S 2018 catwalk.

This week, Donatella Versace chose to stage her S/S 2018 show at Milan’s Triennale museum as a tribute to her late brother’s Gianni’s inspirations and creations. And so, for the first time since being the creative director of the company, she seeked inspiration directly from the house’s archives with all the key prints and pieces from the years 1991–95.

Versace in the ’90s

As I said those years marked the highlights of Gianni Versace’s designs. His most iconic collections included Vogue, Warhol, My Friend Elton, Icons, Baroque, Animalia, Native Americans, Tresor de la Mer, Metal Mesh, and Butterflies.

Beautiful finale of the S/S 2018 Versace: Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Helena Christensen posing in classic Versace chainmail dresses.

To celebrate «a genius . . . an icon . . . my brother» as Donatella said, the show fulminated in a finale that brought tears to my eyes. Gianni’s favorite models, Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Helena Christensen, appeared in golden gowns on stage, to the chorus of George Michael’s «Freedom! ’90.» Front row? Alessandro Michele, Anthony Vaccarello and Pierpaolo Piccioli applauded to Donatella’s tribute to the late master of fashion.

Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Christy Burlington lipsynching to George Michael’s «Freedom 90» for the finale of Gianni’s Versace’s F/W 1991 show. Back then fashion was truly fun!

The era of the top models: Gianni Versace surrounded by them in 1991.

A beautiful Versace ad campaign from the ’90s.

This moment reminded me why I chose many years ago the direction of fashion and how much the work of Gianni Versace in the ’90s had inspired me to do so.

Thank you, Donatella, for this little reminder, we all sometimes need in this busy life! And thank God that I have kept everything in my closet… time to dust the butterflies off…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Via Vogue.com and Rex Features

The shape of the first Vanitas took inspiration from a Louis XV chair bought by Gianni Versace from a French antique dealer for his house in Miami. It was launched in February 1994 and has since then been an ongoing bestseller of the Versace Home collection. Available in silver or gold-foil wood structure and several lacquered colours, it can be combined with the upholstery in all the textiles from the Home collection. The extremly vibrant colours and baroque prints that are Versace`s signature give this piece of furniture an outstanding decorative power.

The magic alchemy of contrasts can be found in the “New” Vanitas (please see the photo to the right) perfectly that presents itself in a new contemporary way without loosing its Maison`s DNA. The sharp-cut remodeled version will be exhibited at the Salone del Mobile 2010 in Milano this week.

My suggestion would be to have one or two of those chairs as an eyecatcher in a rather modern room but not to go over the top with a complete baroque-style ambience. It is like dressing yourself, you don`t want to look disguised and neither wants your home to appear like a museum. Remember: It is all about that special unexpected twist!

LoL, Sandra