Suits you sir

Versace FW17
By Lisa Walden | Fashion | 16 January 2017
Photography SZILVESZTER MAKÓ

Tailoring took a seriously Versace turn in Milan last night. Donatella is master of all things sharp and here she took that knack to the suit.

Her boys were suited and booted in rich burgundy hues and Prince of Wales check. Worn with skinny ties and topcoats, silhouettes stayed close to the body (a Versace calling card), while leather trenches and knitted turtlenecks blurred the lines of work and play.

Suede jackets were lined with fur trimmings and Versace’s very own tartan prints made for a colour palette well suited for the winter ahead. Hair was parted, scraped forward, and gelled across models’ faces in a look aligned well with the plastic-like accessories (gloves, shoes, hats). And not to forget the striking letterbox-red macs, which were worn with matching baseball caps and shiny trousers in a rain-proof mood that tapped Versace’s signature sex appeal.

Last season was driven by a utilitarian narrative, Donatella’s purple-drenched tribute to Prince carving out a lush wardrobe for the urban man on the move. This time she played with similar territory: nylon trenches had a light yet dynamic volume, while a global bent came through in ethnic motifs that were interwoven into handmade jacquard coats. “This collection is about the different tribes of Versace men, and the powerful positivity that can happen when men from different places, different cultures join together,” explained Mrs Versace.

Versace can often be very va-va-voom, but here the low-key, classic mood stripped things back. It was a reminder of the classic (albeit provocative) take on brotherhood and luxury that forms the house’s core aesthetic. That the house has recently reignited its iconic collaboration with Bruce Weber, the photographer who captured that classic vibe through campaigns during the 80s and 90s, serves as further reminder of that timeless – and universal – language. 

GALLERYBackstage images from Versace FW17

GALLERYCatwalk images from Versace FW17





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