DONATELLA Versace did what she knows best – rallying female strength in sartorial form – in Milan for SS17. To do so, Donatella stuck to her sports-luxe guns for another season. Odd, as luxurious and glamorous as her latest collection for the house got, the leading houses around her are quietly and confidently getting on with celebrating the strength of women who aren’t resigned to donning just fine-spun nylon in various athletic styles, and seem to be achieving nearly the same effect. This is still Versace however, and whatever Donatella puts onto her runway oozes fashionable joie de vivre.
Edie Campbell in a trench opened the show as it meant to go on, powerfully. Mini dresses are ruched, asymmetric and sport-ified in retro-styles zipped-up with potent attitude. Instead of gracing the body with some modicum of subtle sensuality these pieces, colour-blocked with motocross gusto, militantly lined with hard metal buttoning and swathed up in a waterproof mac served, rather bluntly, to speak of a woman in control of her own destiny. Pity though that elements of her wardrobe have to be so harsh.
Donatella’s creations still bring a highly flattering intrigue to the female form and are a terrifically textured feast for the eyes, there is no shadow of a doubt serious work has gone into what she wants her clothing to say for her, yet a collection like this can’t escape the feeling of feeling forced. Indeed, powerful has always been the byword for the Versace women throughout the years, but that’s her and not the clothes she wears.
It won’t disrupt the brand’s winning formula by any means, but romanticising things wouldn’t go amiss to add a tad more allure.
by Livia Feltham
Images courtesy of Versace
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