Vic: Versace family honours gallery with Diana dress

AAP General News (Australia)
12-11-2000
Vic: Versace family honours gallery with Diana dress

By Catherine Chisholm, State Political Correspondent

MELBOURNE, Dec 11 AAP - A dress designed for the late Princess Diana was today presented
to the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) by the family of the murdered fashion designer
Gianni Versace.

The dress, a one-shoulder cream beaded evening gown in silk and chiffon, was part of
a small collection worn by Princess Diana and featured in Vanity Fair magazine in 1997.

It was one of three garments presented to the gallery in memory of Versace, who was
gunned down on the steps of his Miami beachfront home in July 1997, aged 50.

The Italian-born designer was best known for dressing supermodels and film stars including
Liz Hurley and Madonna.

The Versace family bestowed the rare honour on the gallery to show its appreciation
for the Versace Retrospective exhibition.

Victorian governor Sir James Gobbo unveiled the gowns and accepted them on behalf of
the state, labelling Versace a "creative genius".

NGV fashion and textiles senior curator Robyn Healy said Versace and Princess Diana
worked together to develop her image and her influence could be seen in the designs.

"This (dress) is very much that conservative chic look ... and her influence can really
be seen in this.

"Diana and Versace were working closely together from about 1993 in terms of developing
her new image," Ms Healy said.

The other two dresses are a leopard print silk evening dress with a gold metal mesh
skirt and a backless draped evening "Exit" dress, both from the last decade.

"We in our wildest dreams would never have an opportunity to pull in garments of this
calibre to our collection, we would never be able to find them for a start and we would
never have the finances for them," Ms Healy said.

NGV chairman Steve Vizard said it was a great honour for the gallery to receive the
dresses from Versace's collection.

The Versace Retrospective 1982-1997 runs until February 4 at the National Gallery of
Victoria, 285 Russell Street, Melbourne.

AAP cmc/clr/mjm

KEYWORD: DRESS (WITH PICS)

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