Help : Gianni Versace Couture F/W 1997 aubergine strapless bustier dress, any archive matches or price thoughts?
Hi all, hoping some Versace collectors here can help me out.
I have a Gianni Versace Couture strapless bustier dress in aubergine/plum, made in Italy. Photos attached, one of the dress worn, one of the internal tag.
Tag details:
• Numero: 249701
• 97 I 55 01 0165
• Modello: 06103/097/t42
• Size 42
• Internal control slip also has “…A PROVA” printed on it (partially torn, not sure if that’s meaningful or just standard factory paperwork)
From the numbering I’m guessing this is from 1997, possibly F/W (his final RTW collection before he died). The silhouette is very close to the simple stretch bustier dress that was the centerpiece of that show, shown in a bunch of different colors on the runway, but mine is a plain solid aubergine, no color-blocking, no embellishment.
I ran some AI-assisted research (Claude/Gemini) trying to match it to a specific runway look, but take that with a grain of salt, no AI actually confirmed a look number or model on the runway, just circumstantial matches based on the silhouette and era. I’d rather get real input from people who know the archives.
1. Does anyone recognize this specific dress or model number from F/W 97 (or another season)?
2. Any idea what “LA PROVA” typically means on these internal tags, sample/prototype, or just standard production tracking?
3. Realistic resale price range for a piece like this? I’ve seen wild swings in AI estimates (anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand euros) and want a sanity check from people who actually deal in this.
Appreciate any help!