Dario Vitale - Designer, Creative Director of Versace

[brandon J pierre]

Tackiness the word is such a broad spectrum. What is? To be tacky? different cultures have different meaning. IThink the row can be quite tacky in it's boredom and lack of design and decoration. But that's me. I also love tackiness, some people love frou frou. Boho.
But I love A designer that sticks to their gun and thats what donatella and Cavalli did. Tackiness is about living.

 

[fashionlov]

Sexiness aside, if we talk about master of bad taste in 2000s and later? I would say it’s Roberto Cavalli. Surely, he’s not the showman and his brand wasn’t mean to be as impactful as Versace. Cavalli girls were both tacky and poetic at the same. See fall 2010

And I think, aesthetically, Versace is more difficult to design for since it requires both strong POV and Art direction, also the understand of pop cultures – it’s not a brand where you can freely experiment different concepts. I get why people love Versace being like those 2000s years again, but times changed, the brand must follow what supposed to be tacky/glam in 2025 (if no such aspects exist, they have to re-define them)

My God, Cavalli was THE glamour. Now... Let's just say... it's a little different.

 

[Salvatore]

I'll take my unpopular opinion and double down. FW 2002 was a great show and collection and forever in my heart !

I am curious, though, what collection(s) under Donatella and under Gianni define(s) Versace for you personally ? For me:
Gianni:
SS & FW 1990
FW 1991
FW 1992
SS 1995
SS 1996
FW 1997

Donatella:
SS 2000 HC specifically
FW 2000
SS & FW 2001
FW 2002
SS & FW 2003 (FW HC was really, really stunning and possibly one of my favourite collections of all time !)
SS & FW 2004
SS & FW 2005
SS & FW 2006
SS 2007

 

[Lola701]

Versace Fall 2002 is what I am craving desperately. In addition to the clothes being desirable, everything was working - the music, the set/runway, the hair, the makeup, the models with their walks and presence. Ugh, it was so good.

You are just nostalgic…
This is Versace by Donatella in full identity crisis (1st edition). Some gowns are great but it’s really hard to hide the Gucci-isms and let’s be honest, by 2002, Dolce & Gabbana and Roberto Cavalli already took the spot.

I think the FW2000 Atelier, the RTW SS2001 and FW2003 are probably some of her strongest collections at the time but most of her work in the early 2000 was a mess. Yes, it was a joyful mess with entertaining shows, great models and fabulous campaigns but the damage was terrible.

And we saw what Versace post-rehab looked like. It was great. SS2007, FW2008, SS2009 were great collections.

The early 2000s were tacky and to nearly go bankrupt when the era is supposed to be yours is telling about the quality of the work.

Cavalli and Dolce & Gabbana just owned that lane in that era. They both spoke to the fashion crowd, celebrities and also the mass.

 

[perhydrol]

You are just nostalgic…

...and we should collectively let the past go, because this is exactly the reason why Versace has been struggling. They've been regurgitating the archives and turning them into merch that's too inoffensive and too easy to digest.

 

[FashionPower]

There is no way you are gonna get a mid 2000s "tacky" extravaganza under Prada management.
The only thing I can think of is Phoebe-ism with bold prints but that's never gonna work

 

[Salvatore]

You are just nostalgic…
This is Versace by Donatella in full identity crisis (1st edition). Some gowns are great but it’s really hard to hide the Gucci-isms and let’s be honest, by 2002, Dolce & Gabbana and Roberto Cavalli already took the spot.

I think the FW2000 Atelier, the RTW SS2001 and FW2003 are probably some of her strongest collections at the time but most of her work in the early 2000 was a mess. Yes, it was a joyful mess with entertaining shows, great models and fabulous campaigns but the damage was terrible.

And we saw what Versace post-rehab looked like. It was great. SS2007, FW2008, SS2009 were great collections.

The early 2000s were tacky and to nearly go bankrupt when the era is supposed to be yours is telling about the quality of the work.

Cavalli and Dolce & Gabbana just owned that lane in that era. They both spoke to the fashion crowd, celebrities and also the mass.

...and we should collectively let the past go, because this is exactly the reason why Versace has been struggling. They've been regurgitating the archives and turning them into merch that's too inoffensive and too easy to digest.

I don't think I am necessarily nostalgic. I am not asking for Dario to design collections and have shows like this to the T. What I am asking for is energy ... break out of the mould. What made those collections right in my eyes is the fact it was so wrong. Let's face it: who really goes to Versace for good taste ? No one. If Dario can tap into the energy of that, I'll be happy. I want something new and evolved and desirable, but with the same exuberance, opulence, tackiness, confidence, sexiness and maturity, done in a way that is intentional and right for today. All of this requires a designer/creative director with humour and confidence in their unique vision and direction so that they can make and be in on the joke, not be the joke like Versace was and has been for many years.

 

[PDFSD]

Tackiness the word is such a broad spectrum. What is? To be tacky? different cultures have different meaning. IThink the row can be quite tacky in it's boredom and lack of design and decoration. But that's me. I also love tackiness, some people love frou frou. Boho.
But I love A designer that sticks to their gun and thats what donatella and Cavalli did. Tackiness is about living.

appreciate you but your reaching now with the row being tacky, boring is boring, tacky is something else like philipp plein

"Tacky" in the context of taste refers to something that is perceived as being in poor taste, often due to being cheap, gaudy, or excessively showy according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary. It implies a lack of sophistication, elegance, or refinement. Essentially, it's a way of describing things that are considered tasteless or of low quality.

 

[tricotineacetat]

Besides the fact that neither Cavalli nor Versace are my personal cup of tea, I would probably be able to appreciate them more, had there not been Dolce & Gabbana and even more so, Gucci by Tom Ford who did it sleeker, more tastefully and with more precision…

 

[Lola701]

...and we should collectively let the past go, because this is exactly the reason why Versace has been struggling. They've been regurgitating the archives and turning them into merch that's too inoffensive and too easy to digest.

Exactly. It’s my point for everything anyway.
Donatella is different from Gianni. That’s a fact. Her four first years at the helm of Versace is basically her trying to find herself in that world. And she struggled.
She did great gowns but I think a lot of times, it was rather unimaginative.

When you look Versace FW2002, Cavalli FW2002 and Dolce & Gabbana FW2002, you see the gap. The latter were just cooler.

Donatella took confidence when she started really to embrace what she had to offer. She stopped doing a delite version of Gianni and did her thing. When I think about the best years of Donatella, I don’t think of Gianni. She managed totally to make Versace her own. There are collections with barely no prints. When there were prints, they were abstract. So she managed to reframe « sexy » or « sensual » for a modern era.

That should be the goal. And that’s maybe the issue for all those brands: how to evolve?
The evolution of Cavalli was very interesting from Spring 2000 (the collection that got him back in the big way) to his last collection for FW2016. Even if it was not as fabulous in the last few years, it was always that idea of moving forward.

For me, Tom Ford is almost detached from that conversation because Tom’s clothes were rather more conservative, almost serious. It was the attitude of the models, the mood and some ridiculous details that made things sexy and fun. And there was also a great deal of precision.

Brands like Versace, Cavalli, Dolce & Gabbana or even Dsquared2, at their best, thrived on Chaos.

I also think that compared to all the brands that are competitors, Versace has always been the weakest in daywear.

 

[Salvatore]

Exactly. It’s my point for everything anyway.
Donatella is different from Gianni. That’s a fact. Her four first years at the helm of Versace is basically her trying to find herself in that world. And she struggled.
She did great gowns but I think a lot of times, it was rather unimaginative.

When you look Versace FW2002, Cavalli FW2002 and Dolce & Gabbana FW2002, you see the gap. The latter were just cooler.

Donatella took confidence when she started really to embrace what she had to offer. She stopped doing a delite version of Gianni and did her thing. When I think about the best years of Donatella, I don’t think of Gianni. She managed totally to make Versace her own. There are collections with barely no prints. When there were prints, they were abstract. So she managed to reframe « sexy » or « sensual » for a modern era.

That should be the goal. And that’s maybe the issue for all those brands: how to evolve?
The evolution of Cavalli was very interesting from Spring 2000 (the collection that got him back in the big way) to his last collection for FW2016. Even if it was not as fabulous in the last few years, it was always that idea of moving forward.

For me, Tom Ford is almost detached from that conversation because Tom’s clothes were rather more conservative, almost serious. It was the attitude of the models, the mood and some ridiculous details that made things sexy and fun. And there was also a great deal of precision.

Brands like Versace, Cavalli, Dolce & Gabbana or even Dsquared2, at their best, thrived on Chaos.

I also think that compared to all the brands that are competitors, Versace has always been the weakest in daywear.

I give Donatella grace, though, considering the fact Gianni's life was cut short and she naturally took over. In this situation, it's tricky because how do you take your brother's brand who has just tragically died and move it forward while still honouring him ? When she made it her own, people sometimes said she was trying to erase Gianni. When she did Gianni, she wasn't good enough and living too much in the past. It's hard to find the right note when everyone else is telling you which note to play or sing. Also, the founders were still at the houses of Cavalli and Dolce & Gabbana so they were free to add and do as they really pleased because they were writing the book. Donatella was only a chapter in the book as all of the designers that take up after the founder.

They are just one look because I don't have a lot of patience, but are these two so far off from each other ?

Versace FW 2002


Dolce & Gabbana FW 2002


(Both photos from Vogue)

They are the same woman, yet not. It's just the Versace woman is more rough around the edges, yet endearing just like Donatella (glad she went to rehab, though !) Besides, with the right personality and aura, they'll make it cool. We see firsthand in the Haute Couture Clients thread where it could be the most exquisite piece, but ends up looking like discount Macy's or Lane Bryant rather quickly on the wrong person.

 

[PDFSD]

some of what i remember what i loved about versace:
opulence restraint, italian classicism perverted , fantasy life style , pop culture , sexuel provocking , risk taking as freedom

just seeing gianni doing his last hc collection all fitting looks on karen elson tells you enough of the layers to his evolution that he was looking to be modern and not obvious while still being versace.
gianni was more directional visionaire and donatella bit more practical/realist they were best when working together period!!

for me versace is not only its loudest creations during gianni´s life time and post his death, for me that's the moschino meets devil wear prada hollywood easy cliche role donatella got assigned to by the gay´s & hollywood but she milked it wisely i don't like it but i can't blame here for surviving the best what she could.

hopefully they find someone wise and with big taste and vision if not it will be the downfall of another brand under prada dario is not the guy that preview is ancora 1:1 vibez !!!





(blame google for all the whiteness lol )

 

[Lola701]

I give Donatella grace, though, considering the fact Gianni's life was cut short and she naturally took over. In this situation, it's tricky because how do you take your brother's brand who has just tragically died and move it forward while still honouring him ? When she made it her own, people sometimes said she was trying to erase Gianni. When she did Gianni, she wasn't good enough and living too much in the past. It's hard to find the right note when everyone else is telling you which note to play or sing. Also, the founders were still at the houses of Cavalli and Dolce & Gabbana so they were free to add and do as they really pleased because they were writing the book. Donatella was only a chapter in the book as all of the designers that take up after the founder.

They are just one look because I don't have a lot of patience, but are these two so far off from each other ?

Versace FW 2002
View attachment 1401316

Dolce & Gabbana FW 2002
View attachment 1401317

(Both photos from Vogue)

They are the same woman, yet not. It's just the Versace woman is more rough around the edges, yet endearing just like Donatella (glad she went to rehab, though !) Besides, with the right personality and aura, they'll make it cool. We see firsthand in the Haute Couture Clients thread where it could be the most exquisite piece, but ends up looking like discount Macy's or Lane Bryant rather quickly on the wrong person.

The D&G woman is so much cooler! It’s almost sad to see them trying to recapture that today…

I respect Donatella a lot. Her earlier collections, despite being a mess, also showed a desire to move forward. She tried new things but was also grieving.

Her work definitely became good once she got a grasp of what was her woman. Because sexy does not mean anything reallly in fact.

When we talk about clothes, it’s almost funny but in the early to mid/late 2000’s, Dolce & Gabbana and Cavalli were maybe in terms of pure clothes, more opulent, loud, bold than Versace. If you look at Cavalli, it’s almost weird today to see how « too much » it was for RTW. He could mix 3 furs and exotic skins in one coat.
It was also a time when clients wanted that special thing. And the quality was unmatched. Versace had for a longtime some deceptive quality. Silk jersey dresses with gold Medusa buckles couldn’t compete with rich velvets, fur galore and things.

We can’t totally blame Donatella. At last she won. I think the brand was terribly managed too. While they continued closing stores, having those multiples lines, the aura of the brand was diminishing but Donatella at the same time became a pop culture icon.

I remember that when Tom Ford left Gucci, there were rumors that Domenico and him would save Versace.

As @PDFSD showed, the genius of Gianni was in his most architectural pieces. Even if he is the one who elevated bad taste to Art in a way, for a designer that could go to such extreme, there was a strength when he was restrained.

I think the architectural nature of his late 90’s collections echoed beautifully a lot of his work in the 80’s. Versace in the 80’s was sumptuous.

And it’s not a mistake that Donatella shined when she went back to those architectural roots. Again FW2008, the idea of structures. Even the SS2011 which was very restrained but very precise…Even if I loved also collections like SS2016 and FW2018 which played with more obvious Versace-ism.

 

[Squizree]

Her peak was 2003-2009, especially F/W 2006. Goth glam is where she shined the brightest.

 

[jeanclaude]

My favourite Donatella collection? Versace Atelier f/w 1998:

It´s so refined that it´s hard to think it was created by Donatella...and I think that´s the reason why I like it.

blogger.googleusercontent.com

 

[PDFSD]

My favourite Donatella collection? Versace Atelier f/w 1998:

It´s so refined that it´s hard to think it was created by Donatella...and I think that´s the reason why I like it.

blogger.googleusercontent.com

TIME TO SHOP :-)

 

[jeanclaude]

TIME TO SHOP :-)

I didn´t know that shop, thank you! Love seeing pics of vintage clothes (specially when you can see the innards and little details in HD).

 

[Kanzai]

Hmmm I think Dolce&Gabbana is a different case. They have too many phases/transitions (I mean the codes were still there but with different attitudes). They have a very high spirit of learning and integration. Say whatever y want about them, I see that they are very passionate about fashion.

Late 80s (melancholy and countryside austerity)







First half of 90s (Their blasting era imo)

 

[PDFSD]

I didn´t know that shop, thank you! Love seeing pics of vintage clothes (specially when you can see the innards and little details in HD).

I think versace as sexy as they did clothes these allot technical effort and innovation in cut and use of materials that go lost in all the visual appreciation of the glam side also how the managed to use gain mail and lace etc but even the multiple silkscreen prints to get barroc prints remember gianni explaining how many layers it take and that its not easy to have so many colors(its same for hermes silk today).

Somehow i wished they made or returned to old way of silk printing like hermes does and make these prints items really expense so not everyone can just buy pieces like its average rtw it should be their birkin in rtw.

have the (early revival ) Balmain approach of the louder the piece the more extremely expensive it is (so they have less cheap people buying into those loud pieces lol)

versace need the rigor & discipline of brand restructuring op as Hedi did for YSL for couture , saint laurent rtw , etc putting the church back in the center of the village

there need to be a clear tier to what is used when and where i feel prada knows that something like this needs to happy as the learned with miu miu and prada having tiers as well.

hedi should open a consultancy for rebranding projects he is good at dismantling and re composing a brands hierarchy and is not afraid to be commercial while hyper snobbish .....you need this to create relancy beside control on quality and clear vision.

 

[PDFSD]

Hmmm I think Dolce&Gabbana is a different case. They have too many phases/transitions (I mean the codes were still there but with different attitudes). They have a very high spirit of learning and integration. Say whatever y want about them, I see that they are very passionate about fashion.

Late 80s (melancholy and countryside austerity)







First half of 90s (Their blasting era imo)

melancholy and countryside austerity you mean Bucolic (relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life)

its very Italian at that time early Miu Miu is build on this as Prada as well but the north version more sober and austrian/tyrolean influenced raw material simple cuts naive little decor.

Dolce&Gabbana is the south version which is more colorful and gypsy & north africa inspired as per history sober part is when the woman where widdows wearing only black rest of their lives catholics influences again gypsy also influenced the spanish flamingo and veils and stollas.


italy has this mentality culture war issue that countryside from the south is low culture brash and loud and countryside in the north is leisure lifestyle ski luxury one with nature .