The opening look of Versace’s spring show was a 1960s dress worn with ballerina flats — a fact that could have made headlines, considering 6-inch stilettos are the norm in Donatella Versace’s universe. That sleek, dynamic vibe was what she noticed before the fall. Her own way of dressing IRL – a luxurious cashmere coat in camel, cool cargo trousers with a cashmere knit, a tightly fitted blazer – served as the starting point for the collection.
“This is a very personal reflection of the pieces I love most at Versace and wear every day, and the pieces I love most on the men around me,” Versace said via email. Reflecting the current mood for less flash, there was a small shift towards softer colours, while key archive templates were given a lighter sense of ease.
Strong tailoring anchored the offering from day to evening, with short and boxy cut jackets, often unlined for smooth wearing comfort without compromising the sexy vibe of Versace’s sharp construction. Skirts were kept short and sassy; The volumes were also scaled back to less oversized versions, such as in an overcoat in Barocco jacquard curls, worn over a summer wool blazer and stonewashed loose jeans. The jacket seemed to come straight from DV’s (certainly very spacious) closet.
Donatella’s favorite, cargos, featured prominently, depicted in feminine proportions in a variety of fabrications; dresses were hourglass and shapely, with revealing cutouts. The star of the show, which conveyed the brand’s signature racy allure, was a cocktail minidress crafted from the signature silver metal mesh, usually part of the Versace Atelier collections and presented here in a lighter but no less glamorous version.
Menswear focused on the same principles of strong construction: crisp and lightweight. The denim offering was expanded with sleeveless trucker jackets and slouchy cargo pants made of washed denim. Since the skinny pants moment is apparently over, wide pants have been translated into a more formal silhouette. Voluminous trousers with fitted jacket made for a new version of the powerful Versace suit.
To be clear, that fitted jacket was one of Prince’s favorite pieces. The pop megastar, a good friend of Gianni and Donatella, used to call her and play music on the phone to ask her opinion. He attended several fashion shows over the years, composed the soundtrack for an Atelier Versace presentation at The Ritz in Paris in 1994 and also performed at the brand’s after-party in 2007, entertaining the audience with fantastic nonchalance. Imagine the tension.
