Let Versace Fall 1998 Be Your Guiding Light

The vintage Versace coven is calling you.

Apr 09, 2025

It’s 2025, we’re back and fully engaged in brand new aesthetics for an uncomfortable, strange year. And yet, in a swirling world of new, new, new, nothing feels more present to me than Versace Fall 1998. Few visuals manage to incorporate such artful perfection: the antique jewelry, the chainmail, the renaissance painting excellence of it all. Certain elements of styling, lighting and concept simply cannot be replicated.

My obsession started with a coat from said collection. Of pinstripes and blue faux fur and a perfectly study, stiff leather silhouette. I didn’t buy it. I regret it. I hope whoever did get it returns it.

Versace Fall 1998 is important for several reasons; but one of them being that it’s one of the first collections fully designed by Donatella Versace as chief creative officer, following the unfortunate murder of her brother Gianni in July 1997. She first became heavily involved in the creative direction of the brand in 1996, when Gianni had ear cancer.

It was a historic time for Versace. Just after Gianni’s death, prices of Versace from past seasons skyrocketed. Sotheby’s held a fashion auction (revolutionary at the time) less than 18 months after the designer passed, and the highest grossing item was a 1997 Versace cocktail dress in metal mesh, which went for £9,775. “Last year's designer clothes selling for three times their original price? This must then be the moment to turn out your closets, pass up the dress agency and go straight to the auction houses, where glamorous young shopaholics are mad for vintage clothes,” Suzy Menkes reported at the time.

Earlier this year, Donatella announced she’s stepping down from the brand and taking on the role of chief brand ambassador. Dario Vitale, formerly of Miu Miu fame, is taking over the reigns as new chief creative officer. There’s never been a better time than the present to look back at Versace’s Fall 1998 campaign. Beyond that, we all know fashion is obsessed with medieval times right now—and this is one of the best contemporary examples. The collection also, to me, feels divinely feminine and purely from a female point of view—something the runways desperately need more of right now. Shot by Steven Meisel, it starred Maggie Rizer, Guinevere Van Seenus, Carolyn Murphy and others in renaissance portrait mode.

These are the style lessons to take from the campaign:

Tissue thin t-shirts are ideal with chainmail.

Two things that are undoubtedly hard to style on their own, but look shockingly interesting together. Call it a study of contrasts. The perfectly soft, faded, worn-in tissue-thin long-sleeve tee with a chainmail piece (think: vest, sleeveless dress) thrown over it. Or, follow the styling of the campaign and wear a tissue-thin tee on TOP of chainmail armor. I actually like this idea a lot—an easier way to wear it would be with a long, wispy tunic or even a t-shirt dress with a little bit of the chainmail skirt peeking out.

I don’t like most t-shirts except: I really love the ultra-soft, washed feeling oversized ones from AllSaints like this, which I feel like would be perfect for layering chainmail over. There are also lots of great affordable chainmail pieces on Etsy right now.

You need copious amounts of antique jewelry.

This is a rule I already follow but it re-affirms my commitment to wearing 200+ year old portrait miniatures and mourning rings as well as antique jewelry in general. The jewelry inspiration in this campaign in simply endless. Special appreciation goes to the giant gothic cross pendants and the highly-detailed cuffs on each arm (a great rule to follow in general). More is more here, and layering statement making pieces is the religion. Each piece also takes up lots of space and has presence. No dainty chains allowed.

Pinstripes are a neutral.

My love for pinstripes is eternal. And in the world of vintage, there’s no one better than Versace when it comes to making the best of the best pinstripes. The aforementioned coat is what drew me to resurfacing this campaign, but look closely and under all the high turtlenecks, ancient jewelry and unique statement outerwear is a pair of pinstripe pants. On their own, they could very well be without an identity, but with the unexpected? A true maximalist’s best friend. And also usually incredibly affordable. Like this vintage Versace option for $38 (!!!!!!!), a vintage YSL blazer that’s priced at little under $100 (I have one that's almost identical), or this AMAZING affordable vintage Valentino suit (again, !!!!!). Pinstripes are truly underrated.

Trade the puff sleeve for a bell sleeve.

I indulge in a puff sleeve very often. It’s plays a big role in my Victorian child and woman spreading aesthetic sensibility and brands like Simone Rocha, Selkie and Cecilie Bahnsen have been delivering on it for a long, long time now. However, I’d like to make a case for the dramatic, full-blown bell sleeve as seen here. I remember I had a bell sleeve dress printed with an angel on it that I wore in elementary school and the one cool hippie teacher told me it was “sick.” I didn’t know what that meant at the time. But that memory has stuck with me for years. I’m not sure I’ve worn bell sleeves since. But I could see them making a huge resurgence in the next two years with fashion’s ongoing medieval fascination. Even better as a top tucked into a floor-length crushed velvet maxi skirt. Of course, Free People is really excelling in the bell sleeve territory right now.

Books are the accessory.

This campaign utilizes books to share its narrative throughout. But there’s also something incredibly soothing about adding a book to an outfit. There’s a reason why fashion shows keep having models carrying newspapers and books—that’s the biggest fantasy of all when we’re all staring at our phones, computers and TVs with the threat of AI hanging over every creative endeavor.

I like the idea of adding a book—or book shaped accessory at least—to an outfit. It’s tangential and less literal than in this campaign, but I’ve been thinking a lot about Prada’s fall 2016 notebook necklaces and bag charms (actual notebooks bound in detailed leather) as well as those affordable vintage magazine clutches and, of course, the infamous Olympia Le Tan book clutches. I still have the limited edition Hello Kitty one that I got at the Opening Ceremony sample sale years ago. Surprisingly, you can find it for close to $500 if you spend enough time looking.