Atelier Versace had not appeared on the official Parisian couture calendar since January 2004, but made a triumphant return this season with a body-conscious collection that emphasized the curves of a woman’s body with the help of gold metal pieces.

“These are my glamorous warrior women,” quipped Donatella Versace before the show, explaining she had decided to return because “the world needs glamour, and I missed couture!”

One by one, Versace’s demi-goddesses wearing body-slimming dresses with figure-enhancing corsets (and some in shorts and jackets) descended golden stairs to a recording of a Tosca aria by the enchanting Maria Callas.

With gold metal inserts, Versace added 3D effects around the waist, the bust, shoulders and hips. Her novel interpretation of lace echoed this sculptural quality with laser-cut silk and plastic laminate formed into floral patterns. Champagne and pearl grey tones were mixed with shots of vivid orange and acid green, while delicate Chantilly lace was embroidered with silk thread and encrusted with Swarovski crystals.

The biker jacket, a signature design of the house, got reworked in gold leather with laser cut panels again creating the appearance of lace and the shoulders emphasized by gold metal discs. The jacket was worn with a matching gold strapless bustier mini dress.

While the collection was small, with only 15 looks, it was pure Versace and hit the right notes between glamour and sexiness.

As Published in

Couture by Designaré – Vol 2 (April 2012)