In anticipation of Sunday night’s Oscars, LA is positively heaving with A-listers and Donatella Versace put on a mega-show for them on Thursday night.
Before the AW23 catwalk collection, which took place on the roof of West Hollywood’s vast Pacific Design Centre, even began, a greatest hits parade of past Versace designs had already played out on the backs of the stars.
There was Cher in a metallic blue, studded Versace bomber kissing new boyfriend Alexander Edwards. Miley Cyrus wore a silver chained, pink and black tulle frock as she posed up a storm with Lil Nas X and Elton John. Dua Lipa wore a classic black column dress, Paris Hilton dazzled in a sparkling silver mini and Anne Hathaway rocked a black faux croc dress with the signature Versace platform boots.
It was a front row on steroids. Pamela Anderson arrived in a statement, tinsel style black cape and matching micro shorts — potentially awkward for actress Lily James, also in attendence, who played Anderson in the unauthorised Disney+ series ‘Pam + Tommy’. Demi Moore brought her pregnant daughter Rumer Willis as a plus one, while leading men Channing Tatum and Ke Huy Quan cut smart figures in suits.
Finishing off the arrivals were Queer Eye’s Tan France and Antoni Porowski, actress Ariana DeBose, of recent BAFTAs meme notoriety, and Pose star Michaela Jaé Rodriguez. The sheer celebrity power on show was enough to dwarf the catwalks during fashion month, which has just come to a close.
On the catwalk, a similar story played out. Gigi Hadid strutted in a drop waist, sheer-panelled ball gown with an exaggerated black skirt, while Kendall Jenner modelled a puff sleeved, crystal embellished mini, heeled in Versace’s new It-shoe stiletto ballerina pumps, reminiscent of Miu Miu’s which have put the pointe shoe back en vogue.
Versace’s LA offering certainly had vintage Hollywood running through, marking a turn away from the street wear inflected designs the house has been producing. “If you do a show like this, you have to show who you are, where you come from,” Versace told the Business of Fashion in a pre-show interview.
Among the spotted, turquoise chiffon ballgowns and corseted, magenta mini dresses were a host of other supermodels — including Naomi Campbell, Emily Ratajkowski, Mariacarla Boscono and Stella Maxwell. It was a collection that catered more to starpower than innovative design — but in that mission, Versace thrived.
