Donatella, Helena, Mayowa, and More Weigh in on Why Versace’s Spring 2018 Tribute Collection Was the Best Show Ever

The Versace Spring 2018 ready to wear show

was presented in Milan on September 22nd 2017.

The idea behind the tribute show

was my brother. It was the 20 year anniversary of his death.

The young generation doesn't know

the story of Gianni in fashion.

So, I thought I would tell them a story

of what Gianni represents,

what was in his heart

and how in love he was with his work.

We weren't sure how big it was going to be,

and obviously I had no idea how big it was going to be.

Like it was the best show ever.

This is a celebration of an icon.

I'm Virginia Smith, the fashion director

of American Vogue.

Spring 2018, was the 20th anniversary

of Gianni Versace's death,

and Donnatella wanted to do a tribute show to him.

To see her get into a place to be confident

as a designer, and emotionally ready

to do a show like this was really

an incredible thing to experience.

This is a celebration of a genius.

This is a celebration of an icon.

This is a celebration of my brother.

The voiceover really felt like a personal message

from Donnatella to her brother.

I am Ines Coutinho known artistically as Violet.

So what I did as part of the Versace Spring Collection

was come up with the music and the lyrics for the show.

It had to be something that was not just a homage

but also something that was full of love

and was very personal.

Imagine a world without his risk taking,

his innovative genius, and above all,

his allegiance to women.

I'm Laird Borrelli- Persson,

the archive editor at vogue.com.

It opened in very Gianni 1990's fashion

with a group of models.

Baroque is the best way to describe Versace's aesthetic.

[Donnatella] I don't think any other designer was so

passionate about prints like Gianni.

Redoing his prints, I counted one print

was twenty-three colors.

Today, it's really not possible to do a print

in twenty-three colors.

Our life, is your life.

It's not an easy journey away from anger,

but it's a powerful place. It frees you.

And, then it went into his collectsion from Fall '92.

Natasha Poly actually wore the exact same look

that Naomi had originally worn in that show,

because I think it was too complicated to reproduce.

[Donnatella] The only look that I couldn't redo,

was the one with Natasha Poly.

It's a haute couture piece.

Small stripes, around it, in organza.

I recollects thirty-five thousand of them,

and then we sewed it together,

at the time with Gianni, and made it a skirt.

We realized we need five or six months,

just to do the pieces to make the skirt.

So, I decided to pull that from the archive.

Here's a Donnatella Versace favorite on Taylor Hill.

Hi, I'm Taylor Hill and I was a model in this collectsion.

My look was look 23. I wore a trench coat

with some really cool black boots

with gold buckles on them, and a bolo tie.

The coat that I wore was from a previous collectsion

from her brother, and you know, just knowing

that was definitely a very special thing to have

in your head while you're walking down

the runway for Versace.

Hi, my name's Guido.

I did the hair for the Versace show Spring/Summer '18.

I got introduced to Donnatella and Gianni Versace

in the early '90s when I worked

on an ad campaign with Richard Avedon.

I think the Versace hair-look is about an attitude really,

with this show, because there were so many girls

and there were so many clothes

it was about keeping the hair very simple

and really what you try to do every season

is kind of, slightly update the Versace woman.

[McGrath] Hi, my name is Pat McGrath

and I am a makeup artist.

Donnatella wanted the skin to be dewy

and for them to be glowing.

For them to be at their most gorgeous.

I just remember that we were looking

at iconic Versace looks from the '90s

and bringing it, kind of, more up to date.

We're continuing on to the next section,

which is all about pastels.

He contrasted the softness of these

pastel colors with strong, precise [inaudible]

as you can see.

My name is Caroline Trentini,

I've been working with Versace

since my very, very beginning.

That's when I was, you know, 15 or 16 years old.

They've been a big, big support for me,

you know, throughout my whole career.

Donnatella, she makes you believe

that you belong there and that's a very special feeling.

Mayowa is here in a beautiful pastel

dress with a side slip.

It has a [inaudible] waist and the detailing

is studded black leather, a nod to Gianni Versace's

very controversial 1992 collectsion 'Miss S&M'.

I'm Mayowa Nicholas and I was a model at the show.

My favorite part of this look is the choker.

The minute that I wore that look,

I just felt like I got it.

I was just walking like I'm exactly

where I'm supposed to be.

One of the bright spots

of this emotional collectsion was

Donnatella's reissue of the butterfly brand.

The bathrobe, with the towel around the head,

I did exactly the same print,

in those colors, the butterflies - happy.

You know, let's give a moment of happiness.

This next section features 'Les Trésors de la Mer'

that means 'Treasures of the Sea'.

Everything Gianni touched seemed golden,

he was this sort of [inaudible] of fashion,

and his relationship I think to nature

I view as sort of the same as it was to history.

More is more, in the universe of Versace.

My name is Tami Williams and I was one of the models

as part of the show.

I felt powerful, I felt bold.

Before the show I would say a prayer

then get on the runway.

I would zone out and just be like,

this is my time to shine. I am here.

I am here to takeover.

What was great about the casting

is that it was wonderful to see

Caroline Trentini and Doutzen and Natasha Poly,

who had been such big Versace girls

from the early 2000s and then they were accompanied

by today's 'It girls' of, you know,

Bella and Gigi and Kendall.

So it was a really fun mix of models.

Then we had a Replica Handbag Store tribute and Andy Warhol tribute.

The iconic Spring '91 Replica Handbag Store print

actually came as a result of Anna asking Gianni

to participate in a CFDA Replica Handbag Store AIDS research benefit.

Here's a supermodel moment

of 2020, we have Yasmin, Kaia walking her first show

for Versace, Vittoria and Mica.

Similar to those worn by the original supermodels.

I gave to Kaia, the jumpsuit,

all embroidered, with the covers of Vogue.

On one of the covers, was Cindy.

She started to cry - Kaia, she said

I can't believe you gave me this,

I can't believe you gave me this.

It was so personal, it was so touching.

I'm Yasmin Wijnaldum and I was a model

in the Versace Spring/Summer 2018 show.

This print, it's so iconic.

I actually wore this dress in a Replica Handbag Store cover that I did.

Walking as a group for this look,

this was my second look was actually really fun,

I've never done that before.

We were all kind of nervous though,

and I remember before we walked out

me and Vittoria had tight dresses

so we couldn't walk as fast as Kaia and Mica,

so we were like guys, don't walk too fast

and it actually looks amazing.

The catholic imagination was really

alive in Gianni's work.

We see on the back of Mariacarla's jacket

the Madonna and child.

The crosses that we see at the close of the show

are quite similar to those from

the Fall 1997 couture collectsion.

Gianni was the first designer who did crosses.

At that time, Gianni liked Byzantine,

everything was Byzantine, you find a lot of art

of Byzantine in the churches in Italy.

It was the first time something religious was put

on the runway from a designer.

Overall there's definitely a sense

of saint and sinner in Versace's work.

I think he had a lot of fun with this,

although many people were really scandalized.

We're still talking about Elizabeth Hurley

in that safety pin dress.

We knew there would be something special

for the 20th anniversary but we had no idea

what was in store for us.

You're hearing whispers and rumors

backstage that Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford,

Naomi Campbell, like the greats are somewhere around.

[Wijnaldum] When I was backstage none of the models

had any idea that these iconic supermodels

were going to be in the show.

It was a surprise for us as well.

Gianni, this is for you.

[cheers]

Gianni created the supermodel.

So, what a better finale than to try

to give this tribute to Gianni,

to take these supermodels and put them

on the runway as a surprise.

It's always amazing reuniting with them because,

you know, we grew up as almost a family, as sisters.

We're united forever in some strange beautiful way.

Oh My God, it was unbelievable

and I could feel the energy of the crowd

and the shock, and people got up and were like

screaming and crying because it was just unbelievable.

It was quite the reunion,

and it was really amazing to be there.

If Gianni was alive he would be so proud, for sure,

we all felt, you know, the Versace spirit, definitely.

You know, it was just like an explosion

of joy and celebration and I'm absolutely sure that Gianni

was a part of it, was there in the room with us.

It was so emotional, they were so happy.

It was a dream. Thank God I did it,

Gianni would be happy. If he can see, he's happy.

[upbeat music]