This year marks the 20th anniversary of fashion tycoon and founder of haute couture’s most flamboyant empire Gianni Versace’s untimely death. Coupled with the upcoming premiere of “American Crime Story: Versace” in January 2018 and Donatella’s fresh take on all things iconic in her Spring 2018 runway show, the design house has never been more en Vogue.
It is the beginning of a new era for the house of Versace and its designer, Donatella Versace- who despite an illustrative history of death, debt, and drugs, and plenty of her own troubles in recent years- is assuredly back on top. “I felt for a long time that I had this job because of a tragedy,” she said “not because I deserved it.” However, in recent years, she has almost single-handedly lead the revival of the house of Versace with a welcome update on the classics, proving once and for all that she is not only deserving, but capable of running a multi-billion dollar business in today’s competitive environment.
Undeterred by incessant rumors of other designers possibly taking the helm including the likes of Kim Jones of Louis Vuitton, Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy, and even Virgil Abloh of Off-White,, Donatella confidently states, “this is not my last show, I’m not leaving the company.” Rumors or not, the collection highlights one thing for sure — an exciting future for both Donatella and the Versace legacy.
In a tribute to her late brother, Donatella sent out a spring collection providing millennials with just the look they’re after: maximallist nineties nostalgia. The collection successfully blends a more casual street wear aesthetic with elegant pared down silhouettes and reintroduces twelve iconic prints from the years 1991-1995. Masculine shoulders, high-waisted trousers, graphic tees, head-to-toe prints, along with monochromatic head-to-toe looks and baroque embellishments are all styled with the ubiquitous “dad hat.” In a nutshell, Donatella successfully streamlined the Versace look in her spring collection to capitalize on the more casual, athleisure street style everyone craves.
Donatella Versace Speaks to a New Generation
“I did this also to give a chance for the new generation to see what Gianni was about: his philosophy in life, his genius, his morals.”
Staying relevant in today’s social culture, she states that “[for her] it’s not ‘look at me, I am so gorgeous’, but ‘look at me, I have something to say.” and that is exactly what the collection does. It not only celebrates the renowned empire built by Gianni Versace, it hints at something new and exciting to come. Donatella’s latest collection speaks to the idea that nostalgia is not simply a means to an end, but a sign of new beginnings; and that she is only getting started.
See All the Looks from the Versace Collection
