This exhibition shows a very large collection of Versace's work, but it is a bit strange to see the clothes on mannequins when the we are used to seeing these clothes on the 'beautiful-people'.
Once you get over the fact that the clothes appear to be de-personalised in this setting, you can truly appreciate the art of Versace's design.

You walk into the exhibition to the sounds of Madonna whispering in your ear ....on the cover of a magazine....picture of a beauty-queen.... and you are immediately faced with some of Versace's most famous creations - there is a dress worn by Diana, Princess of Wales and the 'infamous' Elizabeth Hurley safety-pin dress (which looks very threadbare - and makes you wonder how she stayed in that dress!).
You find yourself studying the clothes really closely and looking at all the work that went into these designs - and realise that this is the only opportunity you will ever get to do this. In one section of the exhibition is entitled The Study, you can actually touch various items of Versace clothing, to feel the different materials and understand how they were used in the design process.
Madonna's famous 1995 Brit Awards dress is displayed in The Ballgown section, to get such a close up look at this dress that Madonna wore is amazing. I never realised that the 'twinkly' side panels were actually diaphanous inserts which were hand embroidered with beads and iridescent paillettes - and a few of these beads were missing - maybe Madonna partied to hard after the award show and lost a few of the beads.

     

In the Art section, you can view some designs from Spring/Summer 1991 which feature Madonna on the cover of Vogue magazine.
And as you reach the end of the exhibition, you have to pass along a red-carpet through a barrage of camera flash-bulbs in your face, you enter the gift shop, to the sounds of the Madonna's album Ray of Light!

You can visit the official V&A website at www.vam.ac.uk