We don’t come to Versace to wear brown. At least that’s what we’ve learned from its history of bold colors, J.Lo jungle prints, and powerful ’90s black-and-gold trim. The brand turns the storyline of the fall 2021 season around, presenting us with a new conversation within Versace’s verse: the monogram. Launching a new monogram this season, entitled La Greca, the new collection aligns with heritage brands like Goyard, Louis Vuitton and others that far surpass Versace’s relatively short existence. (It was founded in 1978, when many actual brands were founded on the basis of monogrammed luggage in the 19th century).
The stage was set up as a great La Greca structure, with Versace models placed in boxes such as a sartorial “Cell Block Tango”. DonatellaVersace placed great importance on her casting: “Models are like actors, they bring drawings to life, just like when a performer plays a character,” she said in the show’s notes. “While shooting this show, I saw how main it is to give models time to ‘sense’ the clothes they wear on the platform. While living in a digital age of immediacy, take this time is crucial for forming a true connection.”
But despite a VIP roster including both Gigi and Bella Hadid, Precious Lee, Irina Shayk and more, La Greca is the real star of the virtual showcase. It surfaces like sacks. Like clothes. Like tights. It’s everywhere, fostering the intrigue of Versace positioning itself as a workshop with a story in the making. The clothes carry the yarn with vintage-inspired garments in the form of 70s sleeveless sweaters, disco collars and retro tights wrapping the legs in La Greco’s geometric print. The Versace of yesteryear still remains, with bare-breasted tops suited for open-heart surgery and a distinct, stealthy effort to raise awareness of mid-rise, an often-overlooked skirt size.
La Greca’s introduction opens a new path for Versace, but it doesn’t neglect its brand DNA of steaming sex appeal and a shameless sense of self. As she noted, “this is what the present and the future seems to me.”
