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LONDON, United Kingdom — Despite the show's howling guitars and the white-light, white-heat atmosphere, Anthony Vaccarello insisted that his new collection for Versus had nothing to do with vintage rock 'n' roll. True, he was taking inspiration from the Versus archive, but the images he had in mind were Helmut Newton's Versace campaigns in Monaco, or the head-to-toe looks that distinguished Gianni Versace's work for his 1980s brand Istante.
Tonight, Elise Crombez made a head-to-toe look look fabulous, in a blouson, blouse and bermuda shorts ensemble whose Gothic floral print Vaccarello had adapted from Istante. Crombez wasn’t the only blast from the recent past in the show. Erin Wasson sported a black tank dress, clasped to one side across a naked buttock, which could be the new Elizabeth-Hurley-safety-pin-dress moment on the appropriate vedette.
The very thought of that underscores how successful Vaccarello has been at mastering the Versace vibe in a way that applies equally to Versus. Buttons spelled VERSUS on Binx Walton's strapless sheath. Lily Donaldson wore a leather coat/dress which would need a Newton to do it full justice. Against such womanly resonance, the menswear couldn't help but look obligatory, which means there is still a significant amount of clunk to sort out with the reboot. But, Vaccarello is the man to do it.
