This dress by Italian designer Gianni Versace originated in his now famous 1992 “Miss S&M” collection, which drew liberally—and literally—from BDSM fetishwear: collars, leather, metal hardware, corsets, harnesses, straps, buckles, and the ubiquitous color black. It polarized critics: some praised it as tough and empowering, others read it as an attempt to slap women back into submission in the wake of feminist gains in public life and commerce. Buyers, meanwhile, could not get enough of it. While Versace’s sales might have been aided by a contemporary “sex sells” zeitgeist (think Jean Paul Gaultier’s “bullet bra” corset for Madonna, Azzedine Alaïa’s bandage dresses, Claude Montana’s penchant for leather, and Thierry Mugler’s aerodynamic “hard bodies”), Versace bested his peers in determining just how far fashionistas were willing to go. Holly Brubach, former fashion critic at The New Yorker, perhaps best summed up his groundbreaking collection: “Versace’s designs, more than anyone else’s, suggest specific sexual practices. They strike me as needing equipment.”
Currently, the “Miss S&M” collection is enjoying a revival, partly thanks to 1990s nostalgia but equally to celebrities like Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, and Beyoncé, who have all showcased fetish-inspired looks at a number of recent high-profile events. In 2023, British Vogue even proclaimed “Versace Was the Biggest Winner at the Grammys” when Dua Lipa stole the show in a re-creation of the look originally worn by Christy Turlington in the 1992 “Miss S&M” runway presentation.
Nicole LaBouff
2024