The Musée Maillol in Paris will host the first major French retrospective dedicated to Gianni Versace since 1986, running from June 5 through summer 2026. The exhibition brings together nearly 450 pieces, including original creations, accessories, sketches, decorative objects, photographs, videos and rare interviews.
The retrospective traces Versace’s career through a pop scenography designed by Nathalie Crinière. It explores the many sources of inspiration that shaped his universe: his beginnings in the family atelier in Calabria, the iconography of the Catholic religion, the influence of Greek sculpture and Italian opera, and his fascination with the Baroque and its opulent prints.
The exhibition has already been presented in London, Berlin, Málaga and several other European cities. Its Paris arrival comes at a symbolic moment, on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the designer’s death and what would have been his 80th birthday.
More than 120 silhouettes and mannequins are on display. The creations enter into dialogue with the worlds of Botticelli, Canova and Picasso, as well as the graphic energy of Pop Art embodied by Andy Warhol. Contemporary artists such as Julian Schnabel testify to Versace’s deep connection with the visual culture of his time.
The exhibition also highlights how Versace’s aesthetic was captured by photographers including Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Helmut Newton, Patrick Demarchelier and Mario Testino. Their images helped spread the spectacular and sensual image of his creations around the world.
Versace’s close links with popular culture are on display as well. Music icons such as Madonna, Elton John, George Michael, Grace Jones and Prince wore his designs, along with figures like Princess Diana and Elizabeth Hurley. The exhibition also recalls the role of supermodels including Carla Bruni, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Karen Mulder and Linda Evangelista in shaping a new era of fashion.
The exhibition traces the evolution of Versace’s style, from the punk and bondage inspirations of the 1990s to the more minimalist silhouettes at the end of his career, through the sun-soaked energy of Miami and the flamboyant iconography of his silk prints.
Gianni Versace launched his haute couture line Atelier Versace in 1989 and chose to present it during Paris Fashion Week. His shows at the Ritz Hotel on Place Vendôme became legendary. It was there that he appeared for the last time surrounded by his models before his death in Miami in 1997. The exhibition’s scenography is based on the concept of the runway, which extends through almost all the exhibition spaces.
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