At Versace this season Donatella Versace ticked all the right boxes for the modern Versace woman, empowered in such a way that she is neither restricted by her wardrobe choices nor her right to display her own sexuality for her own gratification.
It’s just a pity that this came across as a bit of a mish-mash when utility dulled this message down in some looks or loud, messy prints, whilst immediately recognisable and soon to be memorable, seemed to deafen any charisma in other looks.
Most of the nearly 60 looks stood strongly on their own however, and the introduction of a new singular V motif on chokers, belts, bags and elsewhere made for an interest peaking design feature for the future.
Short skirts let long model-esque pins own the runway and the jagged neon stripes which set-up most of the pervading shapes of the newest pieces from the house also increased this sense of long, athletic bodies.
As always, this got us Versace’s latest collection feeling sensual, something which a Versace slip-dress, in any form, will do. It really is a marvel that Donatella is able to imbue the newest incarnation of slip dresses such contemporary cool as well.
Allowing strengths such as these to not get so downtrodden by excessive military or carelessly sporty details would do the world of wonders however. Versace will never lose its voice as the last word in luxe Italian sex appeal, but why not play that to its maximum strengths to do something really advanced, and a damn sight nicer to look at.
by Liam Feltham
Images courtesy of Versace