I was so happy to see for myself that Atelier Versace is back on the scene for the Haute Couture. I was such a fan of Versace, many years ago when Gianni was still alive. In fact, it sometimes felt like that’s all I wore–his designs suited me that much. Then, after his death, the clothes were never quite the same again–a real loss for the fashion world (and a personal loss for me). But after seeing the latest couture collection (which I viewed in detail at the Hôtel Bristol), I’m starting to feel the house of Versace is back in gear.

Donatella has a different touch, of course, but all of these clothes would be amazing on the right woman. (She needs to have a strong personality to carry them off.) There were several incredible gowns, incorporating lots of lace and very strong shoulders (which was a trend I saw again and again during the Haute Couture presentations). I particularly loved a grey-blue gown with a high neck: sexy, but not vulgar. And some of the short jackets were simply incredible! A whole suit like this would probably be too much for even me–but I could see mixing one of those strong jackets with a softer pant or skirt.

And, of course, it was a real pleasure to see such a beautiful collection up close, and to have the opportunity to examine all of this incredible workmanship completely at my leisure. Welcome back, Atelier Versace!

Photographs by Stéphane Israël