Judging from the Versace for H&M collaboration, it seems that the Versace customer has an affinity for extreme leopard print and scenic sunset landscapes displayed on his or her crotch.
For its collaboration with H&M, Versace went back to the archives and capitalized on the classic flamboyance of early Versace, where gold accents and tropical print reigned supreme. With such flashiness, though, this collection is not for the faint of heart.
Running on a 1993 Miami housewife theme, the collection features bombastic pieces ranging from $29.95 two-toned floral print leggings to a $129 sequin dress dedicated to leopard print and a scenic sunset. The $69.95 skirt version of the dress proudly displays that beautiful sunset right on the crotch. Likewise, there’s a dress faintly reminiscent of a garishly turquoise scuba suit, complete with a giant neon zipper and the requisite palm fronds running up the sides.
But not everything reaches into the tropical depths of the “˜90s. Many of the understated pieces in the collection were surprisingly wearable, hearkening back to more recent collections of sophisticated Versace dresses. The $149 black silk dress is classy with just the right amount of strappy cut-outs to stand out. Likewise, the purple princess-cut dress for the same price is sassy without being all sequined to death.
The glamour of Versace came in its metallic mesh dresses, which are appropriately sparkly as opposed to tacky sparkly. Likewise, their cutesy $199 heart-printed fringe dresses are quirky and fun in a more juvenile way, albeit with a not-so-juvenile price tag.
On the other hand, the accessories are not to be fooled around with. The collection features heavy gold belts that could simultaneously be used as an extremely painful whip and heavily embellished metal accented purses that would be useful to beat potential designer collaboration-obsessed thieves.
And if the women’s fashions were a bit on the scarily neon end, the men’s fashions were by far the most ostentatious pieces in the collection. With excessively printed T-shirts featuring alligators, palm fronds (again) and a psychedelic zig-zag print, as well as mesh tank tops, the male fashions in the collection seemed to be appropriate for those who have very sculpted pectoral muscles.
Likewise, there’s a $199 bomber jacket with sleeves dedicated to a sunset scene on each elbow. (Kanye West recently wore this piece to the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show because, well, of course he would.)
While much of the collection can be worn as an ironic take on tacky Italian glamour, the price line for Versace for H&M would probably forbid that. However, the design house must be applauded for sticking to its roots and releasing a true representation and range of Versace glamour to the mass market.
““ Teresa Jue
Email Jue at tjue@media.ucla.edu.