MILAN, Sep 27, 2007/ FW/ --- Soft, lithe and light, the Versace Spring / Summer 2008 collection presented today here in Milan showed a softer side of Donatella, as the Italian fashion designer cum fashion icon sent free, unrestrained and flowing silhouettes on the runway.

Opening with a satin mini dress that was sheered on the neckline for volume and layered over with a loose-fitting blazer, Donatella set the tone of the collection that proposed the blazer as ‘an absolute necessity’ in a woman’s wardrobe and femininity as the strongest aphrodisiac of all.

For the past several seasons, Donatella has redefined and recompiled the Versace DNA, to come up with a new Versace that can only be described as Versace 2.0 in internet terms. (For non-geeks: a 2.0 version means a major release with lots of improvements and new functionalities.)

Donatella’s Spring / Summer 2008 collection continues on the path she has taken, i.e., take Versace to new heights while keeping its original DNA intact. So, although the uber sexiness that originally defined Versace has been translated into ‘feminine and fluid silhouettes’ with ruching, draping and cascading fabrics, the looks are still the same Versace ‘to die for,’ to use an American vernacular, meaning highly covetable and beautiful.

As the press notes said, ‘khaki, military, leaf or jade green, cornflower blue, orange and fuchsia pink as well as chocolate brown are Medusa’s new black.’ The new color palette is also a new mood for the Italian maison, which had favored neutral colors such as black and white in the past.

The change in color palette is not the only thing that was transformed with the new atmosphere at Versace. The accessories had taken a new turn also with the new polyhedral shapes seen in the stiletto shoes and multifunctional sacs like the new Darling bag.

Costume jewelry has literally been made part of the garment as seen in the sheered beige blouse wherein the strap that held the sheering together to make a very low round neckline were created out of crystal necklace. This was also seen in the final exit worn by Carmen Kass, a yellow empire gown that was given shape with a cris-crossed back that featured crystal beads.

Always ready to push the envelope and experiment, Donatella also reworked the safari jacket and gave it big pockets and inverted pleats. And while natural fibers were mostly used, high tech processes were employed to create the washed, enzyme-treated satin without a trace of stiffness and make both linen and ramie weightless.

Versace

Versace

Versace

Versace