Donatella Versace knows what women want: a sexy, glamorous shoe and bag
Women and accessories. There's an inexplicable, gut-reactive connection between a woman and a beautiful pair of shoes or a bag. Few designers understand this like Donatella Versace, creative guide behind the label that's been giving Hollywood A-listers and non-famous fashion lovers alike exactly what they want for 30 years. Season, after season, her luxe leather goods and shoes tap into an intrinsic desire.
"Bags and shoes can transform an outfit, even if your clothes remain the same," says Versace. "And as they transform the way you appear, they can also transform the way you feel about yourself. This is perhaps the key."
Versace, a keen forecaster of fashion's changing trend tides, knew that the surreal shoes from spring needed to give way to something sleeker and sexier for fall. So all the whimsical crafted heels turned into architectural feats of design that heralded the return of the stiletto, this time adorned with either pointed or rounded toes, delicate straps or substantial buckled ones.
"The stiletto is the ultimate sexy and glamorous piece of footwear," says Versace. "It gives the wearer a feeling of being powerful because of the added height. It elongates the leg, which is sexy. It is a dramatic design, finishing off the body like a sleek, sharp full stop."
The architectural thread ran through her entire collection, inspired by a futuristic city, like New York or Berlin. "The combination of the grand old buildings and the new, modern constructions made a really big impression on me," she notes. But she softened such a modern look with shots of bold colour such as purple.
Bags, too, got this soft-hard treatment in rich, luxurious materials such as napa, croc and patent leather reworked with architectural lines. She understands that women tend to buy one statement bag per season and faithfully carry it for the duration. Likewise, Versace can be seen carrying her collection's bags. "I think it is important that a designer experiences her own designs wherever possible," she says.
And if there's one fall bag that every woman should carry, it's her Kiss bag. "Modern women want their everyday handbags to be useful as well as beautiful, and the Kiss is incredibly functional," says Versace. The bag has architectural lines, a rounder body and comes in all sorts of chic materials - croc, alligator, napa and nylon, some embossed with an updated version of the house's iconic Medusa head or with a collage designed by artist Tim Roeloffs. Best of all, it holds a lot.
All these pieces are as versatile and beautifully crafted as they are of-the-moment, always tapping into the current zeitgeist. Which is at the root of the Versace label and why it has been an enduring symbol of high fashion. Understandable then, that Versace has a faithful following, especially among the most glittering stars, like Jennifer Lopez, Hilary Swank and Penelope Cruz. "Hollywood is all about drama, and its love affair with fashion is based on making an entrance at red-carpet events," says Versace. "Sensuality and glamour - that is the DNA of Versace."
Discover the Versace Fall 08 Shoe, Handbag and Ready-to-Wear Collections at Holt Renfrew.
By Nandini D'Souza
