September 9, 2016
By Marcellous L. Jones
Photos Courtesy of Atelier Versace
Paris, France – The new Atelier Versace collection by Donatella Versace and the house of Versace is a harmonious mixture of engineered cuts, sex appeal and optimism. This sets the stage for a very compelling Fall/Winter 2016/17 season.
Draping is perhaps the most important unifying aspect this season. Soft rounded-edge forms are used to detail the bust. They fold downwards, horizontally and asymmetrically in many ways. We find them over the shoulders, again across the bust and dramatically bleeding from either the bust or the waist downwards until they form floor-sweeping trains.
Donatella Versace, the house’ artistic director of Atelier Versace says of the latest outing, “I love the elegance, sophistication and drama of today’s woman. This is a collection that reveals a woman’s power, and her allure.”
The silhouettes reveal a slender female form, shoulders, the legs and very often the arms. These elements seem highlighted by the optimistic color palette, which is dominated by the freshness of pastels. Versace has chosen to make duchess satin the backbone upon which she constructs the irresistible shapes. She seconds it with the softness of cashmere which is used in pieces such as the silk-lined coats.
Many of the pieces have a single-strap shoulder. Large belts appear at the waist, and their form is also used to create the cuffs of the coats and dresses. If one is careful to note, one will see that Atelier Versace is working on subtlety of details. For example, “hard” is a very easy word to describe the quest to spot crystals in the dresses. They appear more as punctuations on the lips than they do as embellishments. However we do see sequins employed in a subtle and soft manner. They add a hint of depth to the details.
The last important detail of the collection comes in the form of the footwear. Though the colors may vary, only a single form is used. The shoes are all high-heeled and have decidedly pointed toes. One pair is distinguished from the other thanks to the colors used in the draped-like details appearing at the toes portion.
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
ATELIER VERSACE – Fall Winter 2016/17
