“We wanted to show the softer side of Versace.” Usually conquering and sexy, Donatella Versace chose this time to slip her women into juvenile dresses, where cut-outs and bold cleavage make for a body at the pinnacle of subversion. On a catwalk that was purposefully made out of 25,000 orchids captured in transparent glass, Atelier Versace’s creations went down the runway for an haute couture collection that was described as “an ethereal drama of deconstruction and sumptuous sharp edges. These are the passions of an exposed and perfected woman.” Perhaps more romantic, definitely more Romanesque, here the Versace woman plays with her charm in insanely gracious and incredibly stylized dresses.
In a profusion of pastel colors and chiffon, Versace’s femininity is made of a rare subtlety. The hems of a number of the outfits are frayed, conferring a fluid, Romanesque, and poetic aspect to the look. Indeed, Donatella Versace refused to give in to the siren song of matching. Instead, a long and subtly vaporous fabric dyed soft turquoise transforms the dress’ bustier into a corset with hard graphic vertical cuts. These psychedelic cut-outs are done on fluid sections of the dress, leaving room for a bit of Gianni Versace’s heritage to resurface. On a wise but deconstructed final note, the vestals of today would be wont to forget the subtlety of the challenges in the world around them.
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