ICONIC
Today was Versace day in Milan, and if the word on the street was to be believed, it was going to be a very special show. This year, after all, marks the twentieth anniversary of Gianni Versace’s murder – a moment that shook the world and changed the course of fashion history – so expectations were high.
One thing that wasn’t high was the number of tickets – rather than the usual arena-sized show, this was set to be a more intimate affair. Held in an all-white set, the SS18 show began with a voiceover praising Gianni’s “innovative genius”, “risk-taking” and “allegiance to women”. And then, out came the girls.
Put it this way, if you were going to stage a Versace exhibition, these are the looks you’d want on display. The archive was back – lots of leather and gold, the Madonna/Warhol print from SS91, the Vogue looks, the butterfly bathrobes from SS95. All modelled on a line-up including the Hadids, Kendall Jenner and Kaia Gerber.
Still, if you were anything like me, you were probably wondering where the original supermodels were – what would a tribute to Versace be without any of his original girls? Fear not, Donatella just had a surprise in store. After the lights went down, they came back up and a curtain dropped – revealing Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Carla Bruni and Helena Christensen in shimmering gold dresses. If you weren’t already clear on where this was going, over the speakers rang out George Michael’s “Freedom”.
Yes, really. That infamous AW91 moment – the moment that would forever become the reference point for defining the supermodel era – was recreated, albeit with a slightly different line-up (Linda, Christy, WHERE U @?). As Donatella emerged to take her bow, the models lipsynched and descended from their podiums to join her.
The crowd, obviously, went wild. It was a beautiful tribute to the legendary designer.
Watch the full show and relive the original moment below:
