Sandra‘s Closet

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the brutal murder of Gianni Versace in broad daylight in Miami Beach. I will never forget this moment when I saw the news on TV. I was studying fashion design and was at home working on one of my first assignments. At this time, Versace was big. We all dreamt of butterfly prints, safety pins, tight dresses and many more…

Gorgeous as her mother in the nineties… Kaia Gerber, daughter of Cindy Crawford, on the Versace S/S 2018 catwalk.

This week, Donatella Versace chose to stage her S/S 2018 show at Milan’s Triennale museum as a tribute to her late brother’s Gianni’s inspirations and creations. And so, for the first time since being the creative director of the company, she seeked inspiration directly from the house’s archives with all the key prints and pieces from the years 1991–95.

Versace in the ’90s

As I said those years marked the highlights of Gianni Versace’s designs. His most iconic collections included Vogue, Warhol, My Friend Elton, Icons, Baroque, Animalia, Native Americans, Tresor de la Mer, Metal Mesh, and Butterflies.

Beautiful finale of the S/S 2018 Versace: Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Helena Christensen posing in classic Versace chainmail dresses.

To celebrate «a genius . . . an icon . . . my brother» as Donatella said, the show fulminated in a finale that brought tears to my eyes. Gianni’s favorite models, Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Helena Christensen, appeared in golden gowns on stage, to the chorus of George Michael’s «Freedom! ’90.» Front row? Alessandro Michele, Anthony Vaccarello and Pierpaolo Piccioli applauded to Donatella’s tribute to the late master of fashion.

Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Christy Burlington lipsynching to George Michael’s «Freedom 90» for the finale of Gianni’s Versace’s F/W 1991 show. Back then fashion was truly fun!

The era of the top models: Gianni Versace surrounded by them in 1991.

A beautiful Versace ad campaign from the ’90s.

This moment reminded me why I chose many years ago the direction of fashion and how much the work of Gianni Versace in the ’90s had inspired me to do so.

Thank you, Donatella, for this little reminder, we all sometimes need in this busy life! And thank God that I have kept everything in my closet… time to dust the butterflies off…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Via Vogue.com and Rex Features

Here is Bottega Veneta‘s S/S 2013 ad campaign shot by Peter Lindbergh on location at Universal Studios in Los Angeles in October 2012. The internationally renowned German photographer and filmmaker has been a hugely influential figure in fashion photography since he first began working for Italian Vogue in the late 1970’s. Known for his narrative sensibility, he has a direct, minimalist approach that captures the individuality of the subject. His images, often in black-and-white, are instantly recognizable for their spontaneity and intimacy.

Bottega Veneta‘s S/S 2013 collection centers on a subtle and complex individuality. A palette of dusty, saturated shades of peach, yellow, blue, red, gray, and plaster is anchored in black and brown. Those butterfly embellished accessories are absolutely on my wish list for summer.

The mood is both tough and sweet, starting with unexpected mixes of materials and prints, mostly florals, and surface embellishments of exceptional quality and varied provenance.
What a beautiful collection inspired by the `40s, Tomas Maier is back in the fore!

TO SHOP BOTTEGA VENETA, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Bottega Veneta