If you need something to celebrate in fashion, let it be Donatella, the Supreme. Breaking away from fashion week in Milan, the Versace designer presented the Fall 2023 collection in Los Angles a few days before the Oscars. The House of Versace has had a long relationship with a-list celebrities, and many unforgettable red-carpet moments were orchestrated by the late great Giorgio and Donatella more recently.
With creed overflowing, this designer’s allure attracted a dazzling star-studded front row that surely even impressed the glitterati. Cher, Elton, Miley, Demi, Rumer, Dua, Lil Naz, Nicky and Paris, Channing, Pam, and Anne (Anderson and Hathaway) were among Jeff Bezos, Ariana Debose, Lily James, Dwane Wade, and Gabrielle Union in attendance. OG supermodel Naomi Campbell walked the runway with all-stars Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Emily Ratajkowski, and many other bright lights.
Would this magnificent over-the-top guest list overshadow the plot of the blockbuster event? It certainly could have, but this collection, the most refined of Donatella’s reign at Versace, was simply stunning. The designer’s take on Hollywood glam was still Versace – yet tempered with ease and elegance, right down to the denim.
The deft revision and the mix-n-match of classic silhouettes, especially among the classic black pieces in the collection, are timely, modern, and a 360-degree progression from flash dressing. In this collection, inspired by “The energy from clashing Golden Age glamour with a contemporary attitude,” the designer put the clothes first. Less can be more when the fit is impeccable, and the construction and craftsmanship is flawless. From nubile starlets to fairy tale princesses to POWER dressing the designer shuffles in just the right amount of reveal, glitter, alligator print, and Medusa closure among the luxe fabrics, and elegant prints to heighten the glam factor. The double-breasted suits for men harken back to the golden age of Hollywood and the shared prints, textures and fabric with the woman are perfection. Bravo to Donatella for outshining her audience with a glamorous collection. Versace.
