The return of sex has been percolating in fashion for a few seasons now, which is right in Versace’s wheelhouse—no one does sexy quite like Donatella Versace. This season, she lends a new dimension to the conversation by playing with contrasts. The main story was one of hyper-femininity—think skintight dresses, hourglass silhouettes, corsets and lingerie; some of the corsets were built to blend into the garments, others rendered nude to give the illusion single-pieces the illusion of separates. Parallel to this was an equally compelling tailoring theme—Versace’s this season was big and boxy with blown-up shoulders. The common thread running through both narratives was an Eighties attitude—the hair, the makeup, the sky-high heels, the latex tights.
Related article: Bella and Gigi Hadid Star In Versace’s Latest Campaign
Sometimes both stories even collided—corsets that seem moulded to the body worn under boxy blazers and oversized overcoats; second-skin bodysuits with slouchy pants. Standout looks composed of the latter combo include a lime-green bodysuit worn with glossy black leather trousers and a frayed-edge, pink-and-green tweed jacket; as well as a nude bodysuit worn with blue jeans and a houndstooth jacket. They drew from classic Versace codes, but also hinted at a fresher energy. Other denim pieces looked equally convincing: there was a denim miniskirt, worn with a little bustier and a big blazer—both in houndstooth, but of different scales; and there was a denim corset worn with a red skirt suit in shredded tweed and black latex tights.
Related article: Review of Versace Spring/Summer 2022 Collection
Those tweed suits filtered through a Versace lens were clever. The best was Lila Moss’ outfit: a pink houndstooth suit—its jacket oversized and the skirt shrunken—worn with black combat boots and a black baby tee that says Never Too Much Versace. Members of the TikTok generation hooked on nostalgia will lap up this Clueless remake. That same pink houndstooth also looked great when rendered even more femme—an hourglass minidress with the pattern picked out in crystals; black latex boots adding spice to the sweetness. With sex back on everyone’s minds, trust Versace to show us how it’s done.
Related article: Gigi And Bella Hadid Walk Versace Show With Matching Bleached Eyebrows