A new exhibition has just opened at The Arches in London Bridge which looks at the clothes and influence of Gianni Versace. the exhibition has amassed over 450 of his items including dresses, shirts, bags, sketches and more displayed them beautifully, weaving the clothes in with the chronology of his life. In its own words it focuses on three themes, Gianni Versace as an Italian, the impact of Italian cultural history on his work and Gianni Versace’s encounters with London and renowned British personalities.

The Versace look is instantly recognisable and upon entering the exhibition you are greeted with a wall of his shorts that were owned by Elton John, displayed beautifully on mannequins. This feast for the eyes continues as you follow a complete chronology through 21 collections from 1988 through to 1997 when Gianni Versace was murdered.

The show not only pays homage to the clothing but also to the influence on celebrity culture. The final room in the exhibition is packed full of items worn by his celebrity clients including the likes of dresses worn by Anna Wintour, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, items worn by Princess Diana, suits worn by Elton John and items worn by Sting, Take That, George Michael and many more. Paired with these looks are photographs or in some cases videos of the celebrities wearing them from the cover of Vogue to music concerts.

There was also plenty of context behind all of the looks, explanations about the style, which season each look was from , where the items had been worn and more. The exhibition is large but not overly daunting and is structured well so you find yourself flowing through the space naturally and not missing any vital pieces. There is enough to keep visitors entrained for around 90 minutes but you could certainty send longer if you wanted to pour over every detail. Even better is that very few pieces are behind glass – maybe one or 2 items at the most so it makes it easy to get close and really admire the detail…. although as all of the signs say – feel free to look and admire but please don’t touch!!

For fashion fans venue director Liz Koravos says that it is the biggest collection of vintage Gianni Versace in the world and it really is a sight to behold with so many iconic looks under one roof.

The Gianni Versace exhibition is currently booking until February 2026, you can find out more and book your tickets on their website.

If you like this article you may also like the write up of the previous exhibition at the Arches, Elvis- Direct From Graceland, my thoughts on Phantom Peak and Fair Game.