For the SS23 men’s collection, Donatella reinvented the iconic Medusa. The show was a pop Baroque extravaganza for Milan Men’s Fashion Week.
With unexpected juxtapositions and purposeful disruption, Versace’s Spring/Summer 2023 men’s runway show saw oversized silhouettes, inventive tailoring, sexy cuts and diamond cuts alongside archival prints and bright colours.
“Pop art meets classicism: contrast like this is everything to me, it makes you think and feel,” said Donatella Versace.
The sons of Versace runway icons Mark Vanderloo, Helena Christensen, Andre van Noord, Carla Bruni, Megan Douglas and Angela Lindvall walked the runway, combining the brand’s DNA with their own fresh attitudes.
“What I love about this new generation is that they like to dare. You can tell they are curious,” Versace said during a preview at the brand’s elegant Milan headquarters.
Models moved among green metallic plinths to the soundtrack of songs which named the Versace brand. While the pinstriped suits and coats didn’t exactly scream Gen Z, here was a more casual version of Versace based on pieces rather than ensembles: leather pyjama pants here, a cobalt blue work jacket there.
Models walked the runway carrying urns and vases or sported saucer-shaped earrings and top-belt designs. The classicism of the prints flew between the clothes and the decoration, where each piece became an accessory, a priceless relic, and a clear manifestation of the Versace world.
Moreover, the collection played with bright colours, thanks to the two-tone and neon striped dresses and metallic jackets. While orange, blue and off-white were mixed in harmony for a total sense of freshness.
Playing against these prints were the rigidly formal stripes of regimental dresses, another disruptive code this season. Fur print became a valid alternative to exotic skins, while leather models made with eco-sustainable latex testified to Versace’s commitment to protecting the planet.
The Medusa Hobo Repeat bag, a hobo model from the Versace archive, was presented in a new XL format, wrapping around the shoulders. Footwear, handbags and accessories, including formal metallic shoes, diamond-encrusted tote bags and leather models with python print and gold headdresses, were worn by the children of the Maison’s leading faces in the 1990s and 2000s.
Several models carried Versace vases under their arms with the same jellyfish symbol as the small invitation plates. “This is a Versace world. We have a home collection. We have many different things,” Donatella Versace said with a shrug.
