Credit it, perhaps, to the roaring success of Anthony Vaccarello’s rock n roll new Versus, but this season saw Donatella Versace drive her mainline in a decidedly more mature direction. SS16 is for the grown-up Versace woman – the one who works just as hard as she plays.
The opening looks confirmed the continuation of AW15’s utility trend with a procession of neatly belted, khaki-hued dresses and blazers, all sliced and tucked to fit the sexed-up Versace blueprint. Paired simply with tough-luxe boots – no trousers, of course, they were the epitome of contemporary power dressing.
What came next was a surprise. Layers of camouflage and leopard print, in a bold palette of apple-green, brown, and purple. Particularly effective was a matching patchwork-print jumper and trouser suit, which served to satiate our obsession with all things coordinating.
But for all the military strictness, Versace hasn’t lost its show-girl lustre. Donatella’s glamazons always need a new party dress, and today’s show presented plenty of options, all sheer, slashed and sequin-spangled to mapgie-like effect. But they were outshone – in spirit, not in sparkle- by those razor-sharp military show-openers. When the time comes to march into SS16, we know what we’ll be clad in.
by Roberta Lister