'A return to deep, dark Gothicism' should have been DVer's (Donatella Versace's new name) strap line for her new autumn winter 2012 collection. It's a nod back to her late brother, Gianni's last collection of 1997, before he was shot, Tim Blanks tells us.
More than any designer I can think of, DVer really does channel the season she is designing for. Heavy in black, this collection took on a moody winter feel with lots of black leather, long-sleeved dresses and a pretty muted colour range - including her favourite citrus hues of yellow and orange (to chuck in a bit of last minute colour maybe?)
It had a slight air of Lacroix to me. All the crucifixes. Which are fine, don't get me wrong, but as a Jew, I would be maybe slightly less inclined to leaf through rails of the stuff and buy it.
Having said that, DVer did give us a few stand out, red-carpet worthy gowns, like the one-armed white crystallised beauty that surely will end up on the back of Angelina Jolie.
I think Versace, for me, is better with a few more colours and prints. That's what I expect now. That's why we love her.