In case you weren’t aware, we’re currently experiencing the golden age of fashion exhibitions. In the past week, Schiaparelli’s vast retrospective opened at London’s V&A, and in Belgium, the first major exhibition celebrating the work of the Antwerp Six opened at the MoMu. Now, yet another exciting new show has been announced: Gianni Versace Retrospective, opening at Paris’ Musée Maillol in June.
The exhibition marks the first major French retrospective devoted to the designer since 1986, and will include almost 450 pieces, ranging from clothes to sketches, photographs, interviews and videos. It will unpack the influence of Versace’s Catholic upbringing, as well as his fascination with Greek sculpture, Italian opera and the baroque.
It’s been a year of big changes for the Versace brand: Dontella stepped down as creative director last March; Dario Vitale replaced her, then departed after just eight months and one collection; the Prada Group bought the brand for €1.25 billion, and finally, in February it was announced that Pieter Mulier will be taking over as creative director. The former Alaïa designer is due to start his role in July this year, and will no doubt be paying a visit to this exhibition before moving to Milan. The show will serve as a reminder of Versace’s rich history, before its next chapter begins.
Elsewhere in fashion this week, we made it through the first quarter of the year and rounded up all our favourite fashion collabs to celebrate. In a surprise turn of events, washing-up gloves made it out the kitchen and onto the world’s biggest fashion stages, and we met six emerging milliners looking forward to a ‘hat summer’. Here’s everything else you might have missed…
Alexander McQueen has released a new campaign dedicated to the Manta bag. Photographed by Tim Walker, the images take inspiration from the brand’s archive – looking back to SS10’s Plato’s Atlantis collection and the De Manta silhouette which made its debut in the same season. The bag comes in smooth black, red and metallic gunmetal leather, and is available here now.
For the third installment of its ‘Back to the Mulberry Spirit’ campaign trilogy, Mulberry has returned to The Rookery in Somerset. It’s the second campaign this week to have been lensed by Tim Walker, this time, alongside stylist Kate Phelan. Craftspeople model the bags, which include the Heritage Bayswater, Roxanne, Hackney Shoulder and Lily. See here.
It’s been a big week for Versace! First there was the exhibition announcement, and now the brand has teamed up Onitsuka Tiger on a pair of shoes inspired by one of the Japanese brand’s archive models, TAI-CHI. Of course, Versace’s famous Medusa symbol features on the tongue. Available now, here.
Last week, Rama Duwaji’s favourite shoe brand Miista threw a rave in LA. Celebrating the brand’s ‘raving and repairing’ event, the evening paid homage to craft, culture and music – and doubled-up as a launch party for Miista’s SS26 collection. See the full collection now, here.
Prada has taken over Harrods this week with a brand new in-store pop-up, celebrating the new high summer collection. Open until April 30th, Prada’s ‘Days of Summer’ installation is set within the department store’s exhibition windows at door nine, so make sure you take a look if you’re passing by.