Versus Versace 2013
Made over at the hands of J.W. Anderson for the first time, the new Versus collection shows us what we’ve been missing. A cocktail of kaleidoscopic colours, prints, leather, studs and safety pins, Versace’s sister line resurrects the Versace we know and love – with a definitive gearing towards the youth of today. Filling the shoes of Christopher Kane, Anderson is the first creative to control the design of the menswear, womenswear and accessories collections since the brand’s re-launch in 2009. Being trusted to revamp a collection like Versus is a hefty responsibility for a young designer like Anderson, but Donatella Versace spotted his potential early on, likening Anderson to her brother, Gianni. For the new collection, the designer has drawn inspiration from a 1996 Versus campaign shot by Bruce Weber. The result is a collection with rock ‘n’ roll running through its veins – sexy, androgynous and rebellious all at the same time. Anderson has stripped Versus back to reveal the daring and fashion-forward ethos of its heyday, which glimmers through every flash of flesh and deep cut of fabric. Anderson’s take on Versus will be seen in the wardrobes of fearless men who aren’t afraid to don daring bandeau tops and one shoulder vests held in place with a single strap around the back. The thirty two piece season-less collection is not for the faint-hearted, as Anderson explains to the Telegraph: “The idea behind the collection was about a modern, sharp, Versus Versace, with a focus on the shared wardrobe… a man in a woman’s wardrobe, and a woman in a man’s.” Now, if you’re not quite comfortable with wearing clothes you might find in your other half’s wardrobe, there are plenty of more masculine pieces that make equally strong statements. In particular, the heavy leather jacket, pants and military boots caught our eye whilst flicking through the brand’s lookbook (below). These pieces effortlessly tone down the daring geometric patterns at the centre of the collection whilst adding some stylish rugged attitude. Whilst Versus has struggled to stay relevant in the last decade, only time will tell if Versace can claw back its winning line. With Anderson’s rebellious design spirit and pieces not dissimilar to the sell-out Versace x H&M collection, the future of Versus looks promising. What do you think? The new Versus collection is available at versusversace.com from 15th June 2013.
Versus Versace 2013
