Paris - Exposé Summer 2026 - #3 - Gianni Versace, the glamorous explosion

Glitter, baroque and frontal sensuality: the Musée Maillol devotes an XXL retrospective to Gianni Versace, recounting how an Italian couturier turned fashion into global pop culture.

Born in 1946 and murdered in 1997, Gianni Versace electrified the fashion world by injecting haute couture wardrobes with an unprecedented dose of provocative glamour, artistic references and star worship. At the Musée Maillol, the first major French retrospective since 1986 retraces this dazzling trajectory through some 450 pieces: original silhouettes, iconic accessories, sketches, decorative objects, photographs, videos and interviews. In the rooms, baroque medallions meet fluorescent prints, second-skin dresses rub shoulders with power dressing suits, and cult campaign images revive the aesthetics of an era when fashion flirted with rock and cinema. A dense, almost scripted immersion that reveals the extent to which Versace contributed to making fashion a total spectacle, at the crossroads of luxury, pop and contemporary art.

The exhibition is organized into nine chapters that trace Versace's major sources of inspiration: Calabria and the family workshop, Greek Antiquity, Catholic iconography, Italian opera, Baroque and Pop Art. The scenography is advertised as very Pop, and the tour covers all his creation, from the beginnings to the flamboyant universe that made his name.

This is the first major French retrospective devoted to Gianni Versace since 1986. It has already toured several European cities before arriving in Paris. The exhibition refuses to be chronological, favoring a presentation by a thematic universe. Four hundred silhouettes stand alongside portraits by Avedon, Penn and Helmut Newton, as well as pieces worn by icons such as Madonna and Tupac.

Biographical details

Gianni Versace, born on December 2, 1946 in Reggio Calabria in southern Italy, has become one of the most influential couturiers in fashion history. Born into a modest family, he learned to sew in his mother Francesca's workshop before moving to Milan in 1972. There, he worked as a stylist for several Italian fashion brands, including Byblos and Genny, forging his talent and unique style. In 1978, at the age of 32, he founded Versace with his brother Santo (who managed the commercial side) and his sister Donatella (who became his muse and artistic director), launching a luxury empire that revolutionized international fashion.

Versace transformed fashion into a total spectacle, combining Southern Italian baroque, ancient Greek mythology and American pop culture. His iconic creations - dresses with the Medusa motif, baroque prints, safety pins, and collaborations with artists such as Andy Warhol - have dressed some of culture's greatest icons: Madonna, Elton John, Naomi Campbell, Tupac, George Michael. He died at the height of his fame at the age of 50, murdered in front of his Miami Beach villa on July 15, 1997 by serial killer Andrew Cunanan. His genius lives on in Donatella, who now runs the house, perpetuating a legacy of glamour, audacity and essential beauty.

Practical info

• When is the show? From June 5 to September 6, 2026

• Where? Musée Maillol, 59-61 rue de Grenelle, Paris 7e

Photo: Gianni Versace at the presentation of his Autumn-Winter Haute Couture Collection at the Ritz, Paris, July 1995 © Etienne Tordoir