By Jessica Ye (Jessica Yap)
Think Medusa heads, Greca motifs, gold, leather and plenty of glamour. Versace’s Fall/Winter 2026 campaign brings all those familiar signatures back into focus, this time with a little help from the House’s own archive.
Titled Versace Obsessed, Chapter II, the campaign is photographed by Steven Meisel and surrounded by old Versace magazines, rare issues of Vanitas and photographs from the House’s earlier years.
It feels a little like flipping through an old fashion magazine, except the clothes are very much of today.
Among the archive pieces are magazines from the 1990s and 2000s, featuring Meisel’s earlier photography for Versace, as well as rare editions of Vanitas, the magazine associated with Gianni Versace. There is also previously unseen material, giving a glimpse into the visual world that helped shape the House.
And then there is the Fall/Winter 2026 collection.
Leather meets gold, classic pieces are mixed with more street-influenced elements, while the Medusa head and Greca pattern make their usual appearances. It is the kind of Versace combination that needs very little introduction.
The campaign features Saar Mansvelt Beck, Alaina Rae, Elodie Guipaud, Bai Ruien and Wiley Rhoads, photographed by Meisel.
For those who remember his earlier Versace campaigns, there is something quite fun about seeing him return to the House while surrounded by his own work from years ago. It creates a link between the Versace we have seen before and the one we are seeing now.
The collection itself continues to play with the contrasts that have always made Versace so recognisable. There is glamour, but there is also grit. Classicism meets the street, while polished gold is placed against tougher leather.
It is not difficult to spot the influence of both Gianni and Donatella Versace in the mix.
The campaign also brings back the Medusa and Greca, two of the House’s most recognisable symbols. They have appeared in countless collections over the years, but they remain just as effective at giving a piece that unmistakable Versace finish.
What I particularly like here is the way the archive has been used. Instead of simply recreating an old look, Versace has placed the old magazines, photographs and objects around the new campaign.
It gives the collection some context while showing just how much the House has built over the years.
Creative direction and the campaign films were overseen by Ferdinando Verderi, with styling by Karl Templer, make-up by Pat McGrath and hair by Guido Palau. Jin Soon Choi worked on nails, while Jeremy Hall served as film director of photography, Mary Howard handled set design and Julia Lange worked on casting.
There is no mistaking what House this is.
The gold, the Medusa, the Greca, the leather and the glamour are all still there. Only this time, Versace has opened up the archive and let the past join the party.
And with Steven Meisel behind the camera again, it feels like a rather fitting way to do it.
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