The relentless enthusiasm of the Ting Tings provided the soundtrack for the latest Versace show. In their native England, they ve been branded "the new Blondie," which wasn t such a bad place to start when it came to the clothes. Under the auspices of ex-Cloak maestro Alexandre Plokhov, Versace s menswear has taken a turn toward New Wave pop precision, as in the diagonally closing storm flap of a trench, the white piping on an angularly shawl-collared black silk suit, or the double lapels of an evening jacket (open-necked shirt, white silk scarf replacing tie—it s a Christophe Lambert moment!). But such precision also translated in a way that was entirely true to the heritage of the house: a sheer lilac shirt, for instance, with sun-ray seaming, or a silk tuxedo shirt with a wet-look effect.
Technology turned to sensuous advantage—that s the Versace way. Just like the collection s single graphic—a heavy coil of smoke printed on tees and tanks. This season in Milan is already shaping up as an affair between the ultra-sporty and the ultra-formal. Versace offered its obvious offspring: a graphic pairing of silk suit and flip-flops. The wide-ribbed waist of an ice-blue suede jacket was a more subtle expression—and the militaristic tinge of the parachute detailing on a butter-yellow leather blouson was too Plokhovian for words.
