Gianni Versace 1990s Baroque Sunburst Silk Shirt, Black and Gold Sun-Face Print, Men’s L to XL

A Gianni-era silk shirt in which gilded baroque scrollwork spirals out from radiant sun faces across a black ground, the print that defined Versace menswear at the height of the early 1990s.

The Piece

Between 1989 and 1997 Gianni Versace turned the printed silk shirt into the most recognisable garment in menswear. Drawing on the Baroque palazzi of his Calabrian childhood, on Roman mosaics and on the gilded excess of eighteenth-century ornament, he printed silk twill as though it were a ceiling fresco. The sun, a recurring emblem in the house vocabulary of the period, sits at the centre of this composition: classical sun faces framed by acanthus scrolls in saffron, orange and antique gold.

This example carries the woven Gianni Versace label with its checkerboard border, the mainline label used before the house passed to the next generation in 1997, together with a silk content label printed for the Japanese market. The print is engineered rather than repeated at random: mirrored medallions flank the placket at the front, a single large sun face anchors the back, and the cuffs and collar are cut in solid black so the ornament reads as a framed panel.

The cut is the generous, boxy shape of the period, with dropped shoulders and a straight hem that sits well untucked. Buttons are dark horn-effect, and the collar is a soft point that lies flat when open at the neck. Worn with plain black trousers it is the purest statement of early-nineties Milanese glamour; over a white T-shirt it becomes a relaxed collector’s jacket-shirt.

Original Gianni-era silk shirts with sun motifs are among the most sought-after Versace pieces in the vintage market, and complete, wearable examples are steadily harder to find.

Details

• Designer: Gianni Versace
• Season: Early 1990s (attributed)
• Model / ref: Baroque sunburst print silk shirt
• Material: 100% silk
• Colour: Black with gold, saffron and orange print
• Made in: Italy (believed; label not shown)
• Tagged size: Not marked; fits men’s L to XL
• Measurements: Shoulder 53 cm · Chest (pit to pit) 62 cm · Sleeve 59 cm · Length 74 cm
• Included: Shirt only

Condition

• Pre-owned vintage silk with honest wear.
• Small marks to the chest, front body and back; one is pictured on the lower front.
• Some discolouration inside the collar band.
• Print colours remain strong and the silk has no holes or tears noted.
• Suitable for wear as is, or for specialist silk cleaning.

Condition grade B on the Japanese scale; see Japanese condition ranks, explained.

Authenticity & Care

The labels, materials, stitching, hardware and construction are examined together and documented in Japan before dispatch; anything that cannot be confirmed is stated plainly in the description. Every piece carries the Japonista authenticity guarantee. Specialist dry cleaning only; store on a broad hanger away from light to protect the print.

Delivery from Japan

Packed by hand in Japan and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Every sale is final; please ask anything before you buy, and see our published policy.

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