GIANNI VERSACE SPRING/SUMMER 1992 BLUE NAVY WOOL MEDUSA BUTTON LACE INSERT LONG SLEEVE JACKET

Navy blue long sleeve jacket from Gianni Versace’s Spring/Summer 1992 ready-to-wear runway show under the artistic direction of Gianni Versace.

“Versace’s self-set challenge this season was to pass 18th-century romanticism through a Baroque lens,” noted Vogue. “One of his stated inspirations was Jean-Honoré Fragonard; the show opened with a long-haired Milla Jovovich perched on a flower-bedecked swing, a reference to the painter’s masterpiece, The Swing. The following look out, on Carla Bruni, was a short scarf-print dress, with a tutu-like fullness supported by petticoats, accompanied by a cropped denim jacket. This high-low look is so prevalent today as to be taken for granted, but in 1992, fashion “rules” and conventions still existed. “Some might call it fashion anarchy,” wrote Vogue of the designer’s iconoclasm. “Versace calls it ‘romantic rock’ or ‘chic and shock.’ ”The designer combined a baroque swirl and leopard spots into a dramatic print, and developed his “trésors de la mer” motif beyond printed silk to include coral-beaded pieces notable for their workmanship. Still, this season’s stand-out looks were the simplest: bouffant ball skirts paired with denim shirts. Here was an unexpected yet felicitous mix. “Fashion is no longer about night and day,” the designer explained to Vogue. “It’s about how you feel, what you are, and how you express yourself. Today women have the confidence to mix extreme opposites.”

Size: IT44.

Bust: 18.5 in / 75 cm.

Length: 28.5 in / 72 cm.

Waist: 15 in / 38 cm.

Sleeve length: 22.5 in. / 57 cm.

Shoulder length: 16 in. / 40 cm.

Materials: Wool, metal. 

Made in Italy. 

As seen on Karen Mulder at the Gianni Versace’s Spring/Summer 1992 ready-to-wear runway show.