Dramatic threads

What could impress a material girl in a dematerialised influencer-driven world? Pretty much nothing, I guess. Unless... How about a non-virtual thrill? Or, better still, a couple of real-life events with a fashion angle? The first, spotlighting an iconic pre-2000 designer with a tragic destiny; the second, devoted to a great master often referred to as the "Spanish Caravaggio", on account of the 'tenebrism' (dark and dramatic contrasts of light) characteristic of his religious paintings, featuring figures, placed against chiaroscuro backgrounds with a theatrical aura. Baroque motifs and a sensual approach to eye-catching materials played a key role in shaping the artistic identity of both of these era-encapsulating style-setters.

Within walking distance of each other, the spectacular Gianni Versace retrospective, to be seen this spring at Malaga's enchanting former Episcopal Palace, and the Museo Carmen Thyssen's more intimate tribute to Zurbarán's depictions of female saints, which lasts until 20 April, are the perfect match for culture vultures planning a two-fold outing.

"Too materialistic, nouveau rich... totally OTT" was my a priori value judgement of Versace bling before falling prey to the magnetic charm of the through-the-looking-glass extravaganza hosted by the Fundación Unicaja's Cultural Centre in the Palacio Episcopal, adjacent to the cathedral.

Incorporating 120 decade-defining looks and a wealth of additional exhibits (original documents and unpublished photographs; accessories, fragrances and jewellery; preparatory sketches and reams of fabric; and even a dying-to-be-jumped-into double bed...!), this itinerant mega homage, curated by Karl von der Ahé and Saskia Lubnow, marks José María Luna's grand debut as Unicaja's head of cultural activities.

Previously at the helm of the Picasso Casa Natal birthplace-museum, Luna perceives fashion as an art form and his version of the Versace "World Tour" is conceived as a series of installations, propelling the visitor from one period of creation to the next. What do you mean "Please don't touch"? It's hard to keep our hands off the clothes. The vitality of Gianni's VIP universe is palpable.

Born in 1946, in Reggio Calabria, a city on the tip of Italy's "boot" facing Sicily, filled with archaeological vestiges of its ancient glory, when it was a thriving colony, part of the Magna Graecia (Greater Greece), Giovanni Maria Versace developed a passion for Graeco-Roman artifacts and Byzantine mosaics, which transpires in his early beyond-baroque outfits.

Further "remixes" of historical references and innovation followed. In 1982, he invented a feather-light chainmail-like textile dubbed "Oroton". In 1992, he designed his couture empire's Medusa logo.

Who says rock and royalty have to be at odds, and why not bring the art world on board? Need we name drop? Lady Di, Elton John... and the rest is history. A compulsive Picasso collector, inspired by Andy Warhol, among other mainstreamers past and contemporary, "The King of Fashion" mixed business and pleasure seamlessly. XXL videos of supermodels and red-carpet celebrities zero in on his "Xanadu": a land of ever-flowing champagne.

At the height of the Siglo de Oro, Spain's answer to the Italian Renaissance, an all-star cast of trailblazing painters (El Greco, Velázquez, Murillo...) took centre stage, and Francisco de Zurbarán (1598-1664) was among the leading lights of that Golden Age.

No need to be particularly pious to enjoy the bijou array of "Santas" displayed in Thyssen Malaga's beam-roofed Sala Noble, decked in Cardinal red for the occasion. The Santa Marina belonging to the museum's collection is the focal point of this exhibition, which includes a "Santa Casilda" from the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, also painted by the maestro himself. The remaining full-length portraits, attributed to the artist's studio, are on loan from the Museo de Bellas Artes in Seville.

Zurbarán's extraordinary gift for reproducing intricately ornate gowns and delicate translucent kerchiefs was legendary. Famed for his "wondrous" likenesses, dexterity and diligence, he painted flesh from life and draperies from a mannequin. Small wonder that he couldn't keep up with the demand.

The saints at the heart of this show functioned like moveable icons, intended to spread the Word of God. Faithfully reproduced by his assistants, and sometimes even copied by rival workshops, they were the hallmark of the Zurbarán brand: the 'ambassa-dresses' of a – less gruesome, more contemplative - New Piety promoted by proponents of the Catholic Church's Counter-Reformation.

Braving at once the elements and my aversion to bio pics, I headed for the Cine Albéniz, where Maria, Angelina Jolie's "impersonation" of Maria Callas during the last weeks of her life, was showing. The idea was to pave the way for the "Versace experience" via the operatic saga of an archetypal "Drama Queen", and I was on track. There was much common ground between "La Callas" and the ill-fated Giovanni Maria, murdered by a serial killer, on the porch of his Miami Beach mansion: high expectations, high fashion, high society. Haute mythology. Same birthday, too: 2 December.