By the early 1990s, what had defined Gianni Versace’s meteoric rise began to feel dated. The tide had turned, and the silk-strewn sex and decadence he dressed the 80s with was a relic of an old generation.

Fellow oracles of yuppie-ism like Brett Easton Ellis were lampooning the 80s, serving a death blow to the decade with his classic satire of it, "American Psycho," in 1992. And the designer whom its anti-hero Patrick Bateman most notably fixates upon? Gianni Versace.

The Italian maestro had become something to rebel against. In fact, it’s hard not to see the emergence of the anti-fashion designers who dominated the 90s — Margiela, Lang, Yamamoto — as a purposeful backlash against what Gianni had built.

His spring 1994 work felt, for once, like Gianni following the way the which the wind blew. It was still "Versace" to a V — gold accents, exposed skin, and a who’s who of the A list. Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Eve Salvail, Kate Moss. Yet the clothes themselves suggested he had eyes back overseas. Namely towards London.

The ultra-short schoolgirl dresses, slashed-out sweaters, and unfurled shirting beneath conjured images of Vivienne Westwood, who was at the height of her powers. And that’s without mentioning the safety pins, a punk staple Gianni reinvented in his own gratuitous way, making them oversized and Medusa insignias. His symbol of decadence atop a seminal symbol of punk — a perfect metaphor for the collection which brought Gianni as close to perfection as he'd ever reach.

This backpack emphasizes both the craftsmanship and luxury which seeped out of Gianni’s work. Python skin is a notoriously hard material to craft with any precision — hence why it’s commonly employed on stiff patterns like wallets and belts — yet here he works it into a functional backpack, complete with drawstring closure and a porcelain medusa insignia.

Condition: 9/10. No noticeable flaws.

Tagged size: One-size