Gianni Versace’s Fall 1992 collection, provocatively titled Miss S&M, had people taking sides. The boundary-pushing photographer Helmut Newton loved it; critic Suzy Menkes, not so much. “I don’t want women to be sex objects or any of that,” she said postshow. “But, after all, women have a right to choose.” Well, at an AIDS benefit in New York not long after the show, they opted for the racy look en masse: “Last night, there were 200 socialites in bondage!” the Italian designer crowed hyperbolically to The New York Times. On the runway, where Versace’s fantasies came to life, fetishistic elements were worked into glamorous eveningwear, and with no small effort: Vogue said, “Getting strapped required eight hands.” These high-maintenance looks were meant to be seen, not in a dungeon somewhere, but on the red carpet, where they absolutely dominated.
