Memorable show and parterre full of stars at the Versace fashion show in Los Angeles

It was close to the Versace show not taking place. Whose fault would it be? Of the weather, surprisingly capricious for two months now in Los Angeles. Originally scheduled for Friday 10 March, the Italian fashion house’s Autumn-Winter 2023/24 show changed dates at the last minute (due to forecast rain) to finally take place the day before, Thursday at 5pm.

Informed 48 hours before the show, guests and the press met at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. A building with spectacular architecture, the one designed in the mid-1970s by architects Cesar Pelli and Norma Merrick Sklarek for the Gruen Associates studio, and made up of three huge red, green and blue buildings, where today the showrooms and laboratories of the most major design brands in the world.

Led to a huge parking lot, guests then had to access the sixth floor of one of the buildings, walk through a tunnel under a black light, and then enter a red corridor where the traditional photo call. A giant catwalk, almost 50 meters long, dotted with about fifty photographers and cameramen waiting for the guest stars of the fashion show.

Celebrities waited patiently to strike poses, creating a monstrous queue that disrupted the timing of a show scheduled for 5pm sharp. Despite the cold – just 15 degrees – everyone was there, from Dua Lipa to Natalie Portman, Ariana Grande, Nicole Richie, Demi Moore, the drag queen Gottmik, and also influencers, including Shea Marie, but also Paris Hilton, who is came with all her family, or Anne Hathaway, posing with dark glasses.

“More discreet”, appeared Miley Cyrus, in a long dress with crossed chains, obviously by Versace, and whose train was carried by a faithful servant. Not far away, singer Cher and Sir Elton John were making their way in a golf cart.

All this happy little world then found itself in an immense structure with gilded walls and a powder pink carpet, specially set up for the occasion of the fashion show, which opened onto an arena surrounded by three majestic stairways, at the top of which one could enjoy a sublime panoramic view of the city.

With a good hour of delay compared to the originally scheduled program, the Versace show was able to begin. On the notes of the operatic music of the artist Perquell, punctuated by techno sounds, the star Gigi Hadid opened the first part of the show in black on black, wearing a large evening gown, with wide shoulder straps, and a pair of black gloves.

The protagonist accessory of the fashion show, the glove was found on all the silhouettes of the show, declined in black and colour, combined with some high boots, accompanying very short dresses, suits with double-breasted jackets, shorts, leather coats with alligator prints, quilted capes, coats with puffy shapes and in synthetic fur, or sublimating with subtle simplicity an outfit made up of an oversized white shirt and denim trousers.

To the music of Vladimir Cosma, quickly followed by some songs by Prince, “one of my dearest friends at the time, for whom I felt a lot of love and friendship”, confided Donatella Versace before the show, the color made its appearance in a candy pink skirt suit version with slightly puffed sleeves, in short orange dresses with a retro Sixties accent and in a conical bustier.

Then, the rock and chic silhouettes that match the denim shirt with the leather skirt took over. Followed by others that evoked Roman drapery. The European autumn has brought brown in all its variations to the catwalk, up to camel and caramel mixed, finding in the dead leaves a leading print, declined in all colors on some short silk dresses.

At intervals, masculine silhouettes appeared, all in leather, making themselves sexy in black leather vests and trousers, while other creations showed sequined jackets combined with a pleated skirt reminiscent of Jean Paul Gaultier, and found in a series of prints effect, camouflage and crocodile, a few splashes of colour.

Following volcanic dresses embroidered with light, a second passage by Gigi Hadid, sublime in an evening gown, iconic bustier and disco necklace, followed by a splendid Naomi Campbell, while it was Kendall Jenner who closed the Fall-Winter 2023/24 fashion show by Versace.

Donatella Versace appeared to wave wearing a short dress and black boots. All on the notes of Let’s go crazy by Monsieur Prince, a song that made all the guests dance, delighted to be able to warm up, given that the temperature had dropped to 10 degrees in the meantime…

Finally, Elton John climbed back into his golf cart and was quickly served a late night cocktail before heading out to dinner with friends. Next appointment scheduled in Los Angeles: the cruise fashion show of the Chanel maison, on May 9th.