Versace showed its first couture collection since 2004 today.
Opening Couture Fashion Week in Paris alongside Christian Dior and Giambattista Valli, the Italian brand returned to high fashion in style.
Model of the moment Karlie Kloss and Vogue cover girl Arizona Muse strutted their stuff on the catwalk for the legendary label.
The high fashion offerings featured acid brights in zesty orange, yellow and green as well as sexy silhouettes and corsetry galore.
“The world needs glamour,” Donatella Versace told British newspaper The Telegraph, “and I missed couture”.
Hollywood stars including Cameron Diaz and Diane Kruger graced the Versace front row and noted the show-stopping designs in the Spring/Summer 12 presentation.
Couture creations can cost in excess of £100,000, and cater to an estimated market of just 300 of the world’s wealthiest women. Because of the limited potential to make profit, they are considered an indulgence for fashion houses and only the richest labels can afford to take part in the twice-yearly couture shows in Paris.
With a history of financial problems and the widely reported addiction struggles of creative director Donatella, the brand’s return to the couture shows is testament to its new image and recuperated business power.
“The couture has always been there, even if we didn’t show on the runway,” Donatella said in a 2006 interview with British newspaper The Independent. “We stopped showing couture, not because we don’t believe in it but because we wanted to make a point with the prêt-a-porter. The clients who wear couture, they don’t want publicity. It’s not special enough if it’s been seen already. We can use these dresses to surprise people. There is no surprise any more, you know?”
