Here is DDW’s ultimate guide to understanding the opulence and extraordinaire of Versace.
Audacity, opulence, rebellious spirit: Versace is all of this and more. Since its founding in 1978, the brand has established itself in the fashion world, mixing elements of classical art with a brazen and provocative aesthetic. Today, under the leadership of Donatella Versace, it continues to be one of the most influential and desirable fashion houses in the world.
But what makes Versace so unique?
Some background: from Gianni’s vision to Donatella’s direction
The history of Versace proudly bears the name of its founder, Gianni Versace. He founded the brand with the idea of combining fashion and art, drawing inspiration from Greek mythology, Italian Baroque and pop culture.
His untimely death in 1997 marked a moment of crisis for the brand however Donatella Versace, sister and muse, took over the creative direction, preserving the brand’s distinctive features and adding her own innovative twist. The result? An even bolder brand, in line with the demands of contemporary fashion, but one that has never lost its identity.
Opulence in Versace designs
Opulence is the key word in every collection. Some of Versace most coveted gowns are made from fine fabrics, such as silk or leather, often embellished with an element that has become the brand’s most iconic symbol, its signature.
We are talking about the Medusa logo, an element that underlines Versace’s connection with classical art and, in particular, mythology. Not surprisingly, the Medusa represents glamour and power, fatal and irresistible beauty, all characteristics chosen by Gianni Versace as dogmas for his fashion house.
But the influence of classicism does not stop at the logo. Baroque prints, inspired by the great masters of Italian art, are another recognizable signature of the brand, so much so that they are re-proposed in new variations season after season.
Rebellion and innovation: the audacity of Donatella
Donatella Versace has taken the brand into a new era, maintaining the essence of the maison but making it more provocative and contemporary. Her signature style consists of bold silhouettes, vertiginous miniskirts, cut-out details, and an increasingly genderless aesthetic.
Some of her most iconic collections? Certainly the 2018 Tribute Collection, with which she paid homage to her brother by reinterpreting some of his most famous motifs; or the one presented during the Spring Summer 2021 fashion show where bright colors and bursting designs dominated.
It is during the latter quintessential show that Donatella founded Versacepolis, an underwater fantasy world where men and women can live in a utopian space, strong and confident.
Versace today: between heritage and modernity
Today Versace is, more than ever, a landmark in the fashion world. The brand continues to fish out elements from the historical archive, reinterpreting them in a modern key.
Donatella Versace always proves to be a grandmaster at this: she has been able to make the brand more inclusive, working on gender-fluid lines and embracing new ideals of beauty and inclusiveness. What’s more, Donatella is also working year after year to make the fashion house more and more sustainable.
Her path in this direction is supported by the use of innovative materials, fur-free productions, transparency and the promotion of local Italian craftsmanship experience, as well as the development of a culture increasingly inclined toward inclusiveness and diversity. Not for nothing, in 2018, Donatella received the CNMI award in recognition of her sustainability efforts.
The timeless allure of Versace
Versace speaks to us of power, confidence, and seduction. The brand’s ability to reinvent itself without betraying its identity makes it an icon destined to last.
Opulent and rebellious, Versace continues to dictate the rules of current luxury fashion, reminding us that style is not only beauty, but also boldness and self-assertion.