Versace Spring/Summer 2013

Donatella Versace has designed one of the best throwback collections that I have seen in a very long time. She gives the clothes a wholly 1970’s vibe without being an exact duplication of clothing from that decade. She integrates very specific design details into the clothing, while still making the clothes look modern, fresh, and appealing. Additionally, she’s showing us that lace and cutout patterns are still going to be prominent next season.

 Fringe – Michael Jackson (1970) – Donatella put a fair amount of “fringe” in this collection. Rather than using traditional suede or leather fringe, she used silver fringe that enhanced the movement of the clothing as the models walked the runway.

Crop Tops and Bell Sleeves – Cher (1973) – The crop tops and bell sleeves were one of the first aspects of this collection bringing me back to the ’70’s (if I had been alive at that time of course). The crinkled fabric gives the tops texture without taking away from the details of the rest of the clothing

Hot Pants – Three’s Company (1977) – It’s hard to make hot pants look classy, but Donatella pulls it off in black and tan. The short shorts were a combination of boy-shorts with a layer of feminine lace over top. It was a nice juxtaposition for the tough gladiator heels.

Tie Dye – Cheryl Tiegs (1969) – Tie dye was prominent with the Hippie movement of the 1960’s but some of that flavor spilled into the early Seventies, and subsequently into Versace’s collection. Donatella added embellished straps and belts to these tie dyed gowns which gave them a modern, edgy look. The thigh high slit added major motion to the gowns.