I hate Marmite but love so many things that have that love-it-or-hate-it Marmite effect on people. Madonna has always been a favourite of mine, but I understand some people cannot stand her. The same goes for Versace. I adore the Italian fashion house – always have, always will – but have a handful of friends who simply don’t understand the hyper-glam image of the brand.
But I have noticed that those who do love Versace are experiencing an extra surge of affection right now. Lady Gaga famously promised to wear Versace for two months, my lovely friend Alice (who has great taste) is constantly stalking vintage Versace jeans on eBay and ’90s Versace ads are all over Tumblr at the moment. Here are five reasons that the house of Versace is smoking hot right now…
1. The H&M collection:
Versace for H&M is due to hit stores in November and I’m already counting down the days. “The collection will be quintessential Versace,” Donatella Versace said, when the news of the collaboration was first announced. “Perfect for H&M and Versace fans everywhere.” I’ll be investing in the prints and gold embellished leather pieces. A Pre-Spring 2012 collection will follow in January. Could it get any better?
2. The Vintage Versace Revival
The Versace influence is clearly visible on the Spring/Summer 2012 runways. Holly Fulton’s collection was one of my London highlights, and that had a lot to do with the 1990s Versace inspired prints. D&G’s last ever collection also had a strong Gianni Versace vibe, with gorgeous brightly printed scarves. Who will be next?
3. Young Hollywood
You see a lot of Versace on the red carpet, but it’s usually reserved for those big photo op moments – think Demi Moore at the Oscars in 2010 and Gwyneth Paltrow at the Country Music Awards. Now the Young Hollywood set and getting in on the act, though, and they’re bringing a new playfulness to the iconic label. Over the weekend Hailee Steinfeld wore a Resort 2012 dress to Teen Vogue’s annual “Young Hollywood” party. And where she goes Teen Vogue-ettes quickly follow…
4. Lady Gaga
We also can’t deny the influence of Lady Gaga. Whether you love her or hate her she gets those all important newspaper headlines. So when she wore vintage Versace exclusively in her video for The Edge of Glory she introduced a lot of new faces to the brand. As I noted in The Huffington Post, earlier this year, Gaga has been taking inspiration from Donatella, further cementing Versace’s It status.
5. The Spring/Summer 2012 Collection
“This was a Versace command performance,” wrote Cathy Horyn of the Spring/Summer 2012 collection. Donatella showed a collection of sugary pastels, signature Versace prints, short shorts, studded pencil skirts and show-stopping gowns. All with a surprising Little Mermaid vibe. Tim Blanks summed it up simply, writing, “It’s a Versace moment.” Quite right.
Are you a big fan of Versace? What did you make of the S/S collection?
images PR Photos, style.com and thefashionspot.com
