It won’t come as breaking news that the 1980s are back in fashion. But while many designers borrow from the decade’s most enduring silhouettes – sharp shoulders, slouchy suiting, easy loafers – only Dario Vitale has dared to confront the decade’s true essence. In his debut collection for Versace, Vitale looked directly to the house’s 1980s collections, embracing not just their elegance but also their most exuberant excesses.

This collection was a shock of colour, all distinctly within a Memphis Milano palette of vermillions, dusty purples, and mustard yellows. Jeans were cuffed, pleated trousers were paired with sneakers, and huge accessories swung from necks from pendulums. Leathers were introduced via trousers that had open flies, revealing the Versace-branded underwear beneath. Some of this underwear become heavily embellished outerwear, suit trousers were rolled all the way to the thighs, and printed materials were loud and proud.

There was no mistaking the Versace-ness of it all. You just have to look at the gold embellishments on the leather bras to figure that out. But Vitale brought something distinctly new to the brand with this first outing. There is more of an openness to referencing and the suggestion of a new kind of sexiness for the men’s looks. For the first-ever collection for Versace not made by an actual Versace, it was a reassuring success.