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| © Getty Images Plus, a retired supermodel closed the show |
By Summer Lin, CR Fashion Book
If there are two things for which Versace can be safely relied upon, it's infusing maximalist glamour throughout the Italian brand's collections and coaxing '90s supermodels out of retirement. In addition to parading a litany of buttery leather trench coats, jewel-hued fishnet gowns, and the Versace's emblematic Medusa logo on an assortment of skirts and outerwear, creative director Donatella Versace showcased bondage-inspired corset tops and dresses that looked plundered straight from the '90s. The match the grunge (or rather, Versace's sexy take on grunge) theme, retired '90s supermodel Stephanie Seymour closed out the show in a a dazzling, all-black number.
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| © Getty Images Versace Revived its '90s Bondage Strap Dress |
Donatella drew inspiration from that gold safety pin-embellished gown from Gianni's Spring/Summer 1994 collection, which ultimately went down in history as one of the most iconic fashion moments of the early '90s (Donatella herself wore some variant of the dress to the 1992 Met Gala.) In a move that mirrored Donatella's tribute show to Gianni for Spring/Summer 2018, during which Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Helena Christensen strutted out for the finale, Seymour herself hasn't made a notable runway appearances since Hermès' Spring/Summer 2009 collection, making Versace her first return to the catwalks after a decade.
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| © Ron Galella - Getty Images Versace Revived its '90s Bondage Strap Dress |
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| © Getty Images Seymour walking Versace Haute Couture Fall 1994 |
A definitive, punk-inspired undercurrent ran throughout the designs, which Donatella presented on Versace regulars Irina Shayk, Bella and Gigi Hadid, Kaia Gerber, and Kendall Jenner (in her first runway show for 2019.) It's a sartorial move that proved Versace isn't straying far from its statement, boldly feminine roots, especially because Fall/Winter 2019 marked the second collection since the Italian brand was acquired by Michael Kors.
