“A rebel with a kind soul. A good person,” is how Donatella Versace describes her Versace woman. Her muse has evolved from her sex vixen era into something more nuanced, with a wardrobe to match.

Donatella was keen to talk about the tailoring at a preview of the collection, showing off her own strong-shouldered black power jacket – her personal uniform – as the DNA. Clothes especially tailoring enhance confidence she said. “When they wear a jacket women feel better, they feel stronger”.

The awe-inspiring Versace archive came into play with Donatella looking at the white collared black dresses of the FW93 collection for inspiration. She described her version – a little black dress with a sheer integrated blouse with a diamante trimmed white collar as “serious and also sexy.” When it comes to hemlines she a creature of extremes and wants, “nothing on the middle”, sending out a series of floor-sweeping coats over ultra-short dresses.

The famous Versace baroque print was melded with leopard for slinky jersey party dresses and printed silk co-ords. A distinct hourglass man’s jacket, originally designed as a stage costume for Prince was reissued for 2024. Corseted mini dresses came with swagged skirts in metal mesh.

Tweed also got the dazzling Versace treatment, shot through with shine, and used for abbreviated suits and boxy jackets with bejewelled buttons. Other adornment included dainty mini version of the Medusa bag and lashings of gold chains for belts and necklaces. Minimalism doesn’t fly here, as Donatella once told me, “less is not more, it’s just less.”

versace.com