Versace Autumn Winter 2015: Greek Chic

A neon yellow cashmere coat dress with neon yellow thigh high boots and big, bad shades to match. A primary red sweatshirt emblazoned with the word VERSACE – just in case anyone had forgotten where they were – and teeny tiny crystal embellished dresses embroidered with letters spelling out that same, great status name, only mixed the way a DJ might…

While Donatella Versace claimed her show in Milan tonight was daywear focussed, such things are relative and one thing is for sure: it bucked the trend sweeping the catwalks elsewhere for a buttoned up and demure point of view. True, at least some of the (crystal) heels were low – Ms Versace said earlier at a press conference that ‘some girls look better in them’. She, incidentally, does not wear them herself. Heaven forbid! There was also a functional sportiness to quilted hooded parkas, despite the fact they cut in emerald suede as opposed to anything more obviously utilitarian.

Here was a look aimed squarely at the young, boys and girls who understand the baroque connotations of the label in question and embrace it with pride. The title of the show #GREEK was a reference to the famous key logo reinvented, the designer said, in the form of playful emojis. Jackets were cut away at the back to reveal bra straps stamped with that motif and it appeared elsewhere on bags, at collars, cuffs and printed across total looks. Less high octane – though still entirely glamorous – was classic black Versace tailoring – think long of leg, narrow of waist and with a deep lapel – woven with pinstripe in primary shades.

‘We’re closing the door on the archive for new interpretations of what Versace is,’ Donatella said and it is true that while this collection reflected the spirit of the name it was more graphic and pared back. ‘We’re defining what it is for today and tomorrow’s world,’ she continued. ‘The basis of the fashion language is different now. It’s about finding a new language, particularly online, a simple and powerful language.’