Vintage Gianni Versace collection up for auction

A selection of Gianni Versace's most iconic fashion pieces is set to go under the hammer in the US next month.

Pieces by the world-renowned Italian designer, who died in 1997, are the focus of a sale organized by Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, titled 'The Genius of Gianni Versace: A Collection of His Iconic 90s Designs'.

More than 350 vintage Versace menswear and womenswear items will be available for purchase during the sale, including pieces modeled by superstars such as Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer, and clothing used in ad campaigns and on the catwalks of Milan.

These include a gold leather gown from Versace's Autumn/Winter 1994 collection, a silk velvet Canova skirt-suit from Autumn/Winter 1991 and a series of silk shirts from his Spring of 1993 'Miami collection'.

His notorious Fall 1992 'Miss S&M' fetishwear series will also be represented in the form of a black wool bondage dress, alongside pieces from his 'Baroque', 'Teatro', 'Bondage' and 'Punk' collections. The pieces were all curated by the same collector back in the 1990s.

Versace rose to fame after opening his first boutique store in Milan in 1978, after which his label expanded rapidly, becoming a major player on the international luxury fashion scene.

After his death, his sister Donatella stepped in to oversee the fashion empire, of which she is now Creative Director.

'The Genius of Gianni Versace: A Collection of His Iconic 90s Designs' will take place on September 21.