The clothing designs of Gianni Versace combine ''street'' and high fashion, symbolizing post-pop culture and expanding the haute couture beyond the elitism of earlier eras. His collections of the 1980s and 1990s reflect the sexuality of the period. This book, published to accompany a commemorative exhibition at The Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, from 11th December 1997 to 22nd March 1998, provides a conceptual and historical background for Versace's achievements. Among the subjects discussed are his major themes and monuments, the inspiration of artists such as Andy Warhol and Alexander Calder, Versace's reinterpretation of the past, his incorporation of both traditional and innovative materials, the use of symbols and words on his clothes, and the opulent fantasy dress he created for the opera, theatre and dance. The illustrations in the book have individual commentaries.