Simply Abu Dhabi Magazine XIX

1 8 0 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I VERSACE The magic and wonder of legendary Versace’s latest collection can be summed up in a simple hashtag – #GREEK. Fashion icon Donatella Versace is calling it the ‘future of Versace’ today – a vivid collection of primary colours such as red, yellow and green, contrasting sharply with a classic and timeless black. If there is one thing Versace knows, it is how to hold the attention of a room, expertly displayed from the very beginning of the reveal, when a model made her way down the scaffolded perspex stairs in sky- high heels made of gold filigree, with block heels. From that point, the audience had no choice but to watch. The #GREEK collection revolutionises the classic Versace Greek key with a modern twist, playful emojis appearing throughout the line on both the clothing and the accompanying accessories. Geometric shapes abound, whether on the circle cut of a skirt, the triangle of flared pants or the circular shapes cut into silk cady dresses; #GREEK is an unmistakably modern collection which casts a tentative glance into the future, and likes what it sees. Running through all of it, however, is the iconic Versace tailoring, which dominates neat shouldered pinstripe jackets and long cutaway coats in double- faced cashmere. It is an explosion of different scales in primary colours; the collection runs the gamut from zip-up cropped jackets to shirts circle cut in the back. Outerwear is saturated in colour, like a yellow swing coat and red cape both in double-faced cashmere, or a green parka of bonded suede and leather. Cut-outs slash through black dresses, some intersected with flashes of colour. Shirts and sweaters are circle cut in the back, while slim-leg pants are cut out at the hem to reveal the boot. Beyond the primary colours so vibrantly implemented in this collection, there are also more subtle flashes of black, vermillion, lemon yellow, meadow green, cornflower blue and white. There is a focus on base materials with a complex and contemporary twist, with leather, silk, fur, jersey, woollen cloth, wool and flannel all making an appearance alongside patent leather, crocodile skin, shearling, crystals and summer wool.