Leaving her usual base in Milan to show her wares in Los Angeles just three days before the Oscars, Donatella Versace says she was inspired by the energy, glamour, and power of Hollywood. She had plenty of it, but she needed one more thing to make it all work: good weather.
And so, with the rain forecast for Friday, Versace she was forced to move her program up one day. It may have been chaotic, but it was the right move.
Their star-studded show Thursday took place on a cool but beautiful Los Angeles night on a spectacular rooftop overlooking the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains, graceful skyscrapers and the hollywood saws. Oh, and daylight gave way to darkness just as the show ended, just in time to turn on the lights, listen to Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” and head to the cocktails.
The sun was still out when the crowd began to climb onto the roof of the imposing Pacific Design Center on Melrose Avenue, with its distinctive blue glass exterior.
Guests included a cross-section of the worlds of music, film, fashion and sports: Cher was there, as were Elton John, Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrusand Lil Nas X. From the movies, there were two Best Supporting Actress Oscar winners: Ariana DeBose and Anne Hathaway, plus a favorite for Best Supporting Actor this year, Ke Huy Quan. From sports, former NBA star Dwyane Wade was there with his wife Gabrielle Union.
Attendees jostled to take selfies with the spectacular view behind them, and employees warned them not to back up too far and fall off the building.
In creating its fall-winter 2023 line, Versace harked back to a 1995 collection for Atelier Versace, the brand’s haute couture line, with a campaign featuring Virgin. Color options started with black and included caramel and chocolate, as well as apricot, turquoise, and pink. The prints included an animal print from the Versace archive and a falling flower motif.
Super model gigi hadid She opened the show in a black hourglass jacket and knee-length pencil skirt, a chic tailored look that gradually gave way to brighter ensembles. Naomi Campbell arrived next, wearing a tight black dress and elbow-length gloves.
After a cascade of black outfits for both women and men, there was a sudden burst of bright pink, in a cropped wool jacket and miniskirt, then a minidress in a tangerine hue. Over half the show came the lavish patterned satin dresses, often minis, and accompanied by those elbow-length gloves to add glamour.
Streetwear was nowhere to be seen, and long gloves seemed to evoke Hollywood’s Golden Age, which began in the mid-1920s and continued for several decades. Paired with modern minis and often accessorized with large sunglasses, they aimed to create what Versace described as “energy clashing Golden Age glamor with contemporary attitude and confident power.”
How confident? The designer has called this collection a form of armor. As for Los Angeles, Versace has called it “a natural home for us,” a place that makes her feel free and close to nature.
Los Angeles is of course also a city of stars, and never more so than during Oscar week. The moments leading up to the show felt like a mock run for the Oscars red carpet, with celebrities meeting or meeting for the first time.
dualipa was shown on social media meeting and sitting next to Cher. And one group of stars seemed particularly excited to meet: Ke Huy Quan of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and Hathaway, both of whom expressed their fandom for each other.
“I’m passing out!” Hathaway said when she saw Quan. “Everyone is so happy for you!”
Quan replied, “I love you very much.”
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