It feels redundant to even mention just how many debuts are taking place across the SS26 season, because at this point, we KNOW. Of the approximately 3,785 big firsts scheduled, across houses like Maison Margiela, Chanel, and Jean Paul Gaultier, last night we got our inaugural taste of what Dario Vitale has been cooking up in the Versace atelier, since he took over the house as chief creative officer in April. 

The Italian designer is fresh from a long stretch at Miu Miu, where he worked closely with Mrs. Prada for over 15 years, and while he was an unknown name plucked from the atelier to take the top spot at Versace, as ready-to-wear design and brand image director, he’s had a big hand in sending Miu Miu to the stratospheric heights it’s recently been enjoying. Regardless, Dario has some pretty huge boots – or rather, towering stilettos – to fill, as he picks up where Donatella left off. Here’s what went down at the SS26 Versace show.

MAKING HISTORY IN A HISTORIC SETTING

Fashion feels a little like it’s closing ranks right now, with typically massive shows being downsized across the last few seasons – scoring tickets is becoming like striking gold in some instances. No more so is that true than at ‘the debuts’, and Vitale’s was no different. The chosen few whose names were on the list filed into the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, which was once a private residence but is now open to the public and filled with priceless artefacts and artworks spanning large-scale paintings, impressive sculptures, and more. Inside, guests yapped excitedly about what they thought the collection was going to look like before they settled into their seats and got ready for the show to kick off.

A GLITTERING FRONT ROW

The show might have taken place in the hallowed halls of the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, where visitors usually take in the artworks while speaking in hushed tones, but come on, this was a Versace show – sure, it was an intimate affair, but it was always still going to be an uber-glam, hi-octane one. Riling up the swarms of teenage fans and paparazzi alike outside were rising model Romeo Beckham, Bonjour Tristesse star Lily McInerny, and Chinese singer Jingyi Ju, as well as South Korean super stars Hyunjin and AllDay Project. Rounding things off was longtime Versace stan Bianca Jagger, who looked chic as hell in a black suit – the legendary artist and activist was close with Gianni before he died in 1997.

A KALEIDSCOPE OF COLOUR

The first thing that struck me was Vitale’s wild use of colour, which tapped back into the house’s early days. One of the first looks out of the gate comprised a strappy pale blue vest layered over a scarlet baby-tee, paired with almost slouchy mint pedal pushers and finished off with a poster paint blue unbuttoned shirt which billowed out behind the model as she walked. Post-show, Vitale spoke of wanting to capture the vibe of Miami Beach – which for a long time was Gianni Versace’s second home – and with this look, and a bunch of others like it, he really managed to. With her bouncy, slightly dishevelled blowout, the model looked like she’d just stepped out of the frame some fab 90s movie, and there was something so fresh and sexy about it – it wasn’t the kind of in-your-face sexiness Versace is known for, but something more subtle and sensual. There was a lightness and youthfulness to it, but just like the suit he dressed both Julia Roberts and Amanda Seyfried in at the Venice Film Festival, it felt like that kind of look that could transcend age. 

Further looks put forward included slouchy tailoring, with a wide-shouldered lilac blazer styled with its sleeves rolled up matched with loose, high-waisted trousers that sat just on the ankle, and waist-snatching jeans in punchy hues of aquamarine that came paired with daring tank tops, the sides of which had been slashed to reveal tonnes of side-boob (dig out that tit-tape). Meanwhile, for the guys, there were blousy silk shirts tucked into leather trousers and jeans bearing chap-like panels, many of which were overlaid with flamboyant embroidered waistcoats that had been left unbuttoned to show off archive-print ties. The whole thing had the feel of the kind of 90s red carpet pictures posted on @directorfits’ Instagram account – when stars turned up to premieres in jeans and jumpers instead of spending whole days in prep with massive teams and couture gowns. 

GIANNI’S WARHOL PRINT WAS BACK 

Versace’s iconic Medusa and Baroque prints have gotten a lot of airtime over the last decade, as Donatella rummaged through the archives extensively throughout her tenure (and countless fast fashion labels continuously ripped them off). One print that hasn’t featured quite so prominently, however, is the punchy, pop art Warhol print that Gianni dropped in 1991 in homage to the artist. In Vitale’s hands, the motif was plastered across easy little sundresses, slinky satin shirts, and chic little pencil skirts.

SEXY, BUT SENSUAL 

Vitale’s collection struck the balance between sexy and sensual pretty much spot-on. Backstage, the designer said he was interested in Versace’s sexiness, of course, but also more just in human connection – the show’s invite was a love letter by Keats, demonstrating Vitale’s propensity for romance. Alongside the slouchy tailoring and 90s-style denim, came a series of dresses that were left undone to expose the back. It was as if a lover had perhaps undone the zip in a moment of passion, or the wearer was waiting for them to help do her up afterwards, and added a sense of eroticism to the offering. As guests filed out of the venue, the general consensus was that Vitale ‘gets’ Versace’, and as far as debuts go this season, this was a really strong start.