Simply Abu Dhabi XXXV

VERSACE 1 2 8 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I Ve r s ace Women Fa l l /Wi n t e r 2019 Co l l ec t i on The Women’s Fall-Winter 2019 Collection explores the house’s codes through a new lens, while harking back to the heyday of the early 90s and the late, great Gianni Versace. A colourful dichotomy was present on the runway, where rich fabrics featured unfinished hems and lush looks were adorned with signature hardware. The conflicting natures of luxury and grunge are revealed in the styling and details of the collection. Quintessential Versace hardware elements like the Greek Key and newly embellished Safety Pins are at the core of this juxtaposition. Cashmere knits are destroyed, while raw-cut edges on colourful tweeds are overlaid with top-stitched silk straps. Stockings are paired with slip dresses, faux furs are worn with the gold chains, and leather boots are dramatised with hardware buckles. The collection is also a celebration of decades of Versace iconography, while contrasting styling elements, fabric innovation and an ode to fashion photography deliver multi-dimensional impact. Key runway looks for the season pay tribute to Versace’s storied relationship with fashion photography, featuring portraits of Donatella Versace by the celebrated photographer Richard Avedon. These images are reprised in the Fall-Winter Collection. thanks to the support of the Richard Avedon Foundation. The American photographer lensed more than 30 campaigns for Versace over the course of 20 years, beginning with the Spring-Summer 1980 Collection. For the launch of the fragrance Blonde, Avedon created portraits of Donatella Versace in his studio in New York in 1995. The Blonde campaign, and in particular, the associated fragrance, lent further inspiration to this latest collection, where new prints and embroideries showcase the house’s most distinctive perfume bottles. The print innovation continues in Versace’s colourful trademark style, mixing bold hues with house codes and references to art history. Monuments come to life in vivid tones on the Vittoria print, through a bright representation of a statue from London’s National Gallery, while an explosion of colour celebrates the essence of Versace. The brand’s signature Barocco-style V’s feature on silks, lurex jacquards and on the house’s new handbag line, Virtus.