Versace shines with memorable, star-studded show in Los Angeles

Versace’s Thursday show almost didn’t take place. Whose fault? Of the time, that she has been behaving very capriciously in Los Angeles for two months. Initially scheduled for Friday, March 10, the Italian fashion house’s fall-winter 2023 show changed its date at the last minute (due to the forecast of rain) to finally take place this Thursday at 5:00 p.m.

The guests and the press, who had been informed 48 hours before the show, gathered at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. A building with spectacular architecture, signed in the mid-70s by the architects Cesar Pelli and Norma Merrick Sklarek for the Gruen Associates studio, and made up of three enormous red, green and blue buildings, where today the showrooms and workshops of the biggest designer brands in the world.

The guests were led to a huge parking lot, then they had to reach the 6th floor of one of the buildings, go through a tunnel under a black light and reach a red corridor where the traditional photocall was held. A giant catwalk, almost 50 meters long, packed with fifty photographers and cameras waiting for the stars invited to the parade.

At the meeting point, all the stars were kindly waiting to take a breather and creating a huge queue that endangered the time of a parade scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Despite the cold (barely 15 degrees) everyone was there, from Dua Lipa to Natalie Portman, Ariana Grande, Nicole Richie, Demi Moore, the drag queen Gottmik, also influencers like Shea Marie, Paris Hilton who came with her whole family or Anne Hathaway who posed with dark glasses.

Miley Cyrus, “more discreet”, appeared in a long Versace dress with chains, with a faithful servant who was in charge of carrying the train. Not far away, singer Cher and Sir Elton John were making their way in a golf cart.

All these joyous people gathered in an immense structure with golden walls and a dusty pink carpet, specially fitted out for the parade, which opened onto a stage surrounded by three majestic stairs, from the top of which a sublime panoramic view of the city was offered. city.

With more than an hour delay, the Versace show was finally able to start. To the sound of operatic music by artist Perquell, enlivened by techno sounds, star Gigi Hadid opened the show dressed in black, in an evening gown with long shoulder pads and black gloves.

The gloves were the star accessory and were present in all the proposals of the parade, in black and in color, matching high boots, accompanying ultra-short dresses, double-breasted jacket suits, short pants, leather coats with crocodile prints , puffer capes, puffer and faux fur coats or finishing any outfit with understated simplicity in oversized white shirts and jeans.

To the sound of music by Vladimir Cosma, quickly followed by some melodies by Prince, “one of my closest friends at the time, for whom I felt great love and friendship,” Donatella Versace confided before the show, color made its appearance in a candy pink skirt suit with slightly puffed sleeves, in short orange dresses with a retro sixties accent and tapered bust shapes.

Rock and chic silhouettes that combined denim shirts with leather skirts took over. Others evoked Roman drapery. The European autumn invited brown in all its variants, mixed camel and caramel, and found in the dead leaves a key pattern declined in all colors in various short silk dresses.

At intervals the male silhouettes were all leather, sexy in black leather vests and trousers, others in sequined jackets, teamed with a pleated skirt reminiscent of Jean Paul Gaultier, and we saw some pops of color in a series of color effects. camouflage and crocodile prints.

Then we saw light-embroidered volcanic gowns, a second appearance by Gigi Hadid, sublime in an evening gown, with iconic bodice and disco collar, followed by a gorgeous Naomi Campbell, with Kendall Jenner closing Versace’s fall-winter 2023 show. Donatella Versace came out to say hello in a short dress and black boots. All set to the notes of Let’s go crazy by Prince, making all the guests sway, delighted to warm up with temperatures that had dropped to 10 degrees….

Elton John returned to his golf cart and poured himself a quick cocktail before celebrating dinner with friends. The next event to be held in Los Angeles will be the Chanel fashion show on May 9.