Before the holidays, gorgeous blogger Jennine of The Coveted asked me if I would be interested in visiting Versace’s 5th Avenue store to check out the pre-fall collection. Jennine knows I have a good pre-2005 Versace collection thanks to Teresa, who was a stellar sales associate at the now-closed Versace boutique on Madison Avenue. Teresa left Versace at same time I was developing more of an interest in vintage clothing, so I drifted away from the brand. I kept all my clothes, of course, and posted a lot of them here. (I have another dress here and I still need to photograph a few more outfits plus a fabulous trench coat that people compliment every time I wear it.)
My favorite Versace piece — and one of my favorite pieces in my entire wardrobe — is the hairy purple jacket. I wish I could remember what season it was from. If anyone knows, give me a holla.
BarbaraB, me and the hairy purple jacket in 2007.
I so adore that jacket that when I renewed my driver’s license recently, I wore the jacket for my photo so airport personnel can admire its hairy purpleness while they wave terrorists through security. What?! Don’t blame me for distracting the TSA (“Terrorists, Saunter Aboard!”) with my fabulous taste. Airport security is going to be fucked up no matter what I wear due to a breathtaking lack of common sense. Look, a dude’s own father tells U.S., “Hey, U.S., my son is a danger.” Then that son buys a ticket in cash (RED FLAG!) and checks no luggage for an international flight (Just like Richard Reid! RED FLAG!), but security people are too busy patting down innocent grandmas and confiscating nail clippers to deal with him.A I could go on about this all day because airport security is one of my obsessions, but I won’t because (a) I’ll wind up on the no-fly list and (b) this digression probably has the Versace people in tears.
Getting back to business, I said, “Hell, yes!” to Jennine, put on the hairy purple jacket and sashayed off to the Versace boutique, where I wanted everything I saw. The pre-fall collection was divided between bright, Japanese-influenced prints and rocker-chic black. I liked that some of the prints incorporated designs from Gianni Versace‘s time.
The Versace people assured me the dresses will be longer for production. This length is just for show.
When Gianni was murdered in 1997, I was working for Boo Lobbs at CNN, doing business news. I wanted to write about who would succeed Gianni and what the impact would be on the business but, because Versace wasn’t a publicly traded company, it wasn’t considered a story for us. If I recall correctly, I squeezed one sentence into one business-news update on CNN’s Headline News. I bet Versace is considered business news now. Ha! Anyway, I’m sentimental, so I liked seeing Gianni’s signature on his original print in the new dresses.
Gianni's signature on a dress.
An origami crane was part of some of the prints and I kept going back and looking at it again because it was such an unexpected addition to the more traditional, floral parts of the print.
If you make a thousand origami cranes, you'll be granted a wish. Click!
Among the bad-ass pieces of the collection, the ultra-shiny vinyl leggings jumped out at me, thanks to my latex leggings obsession. If my American Apparel leggings saw the Versace leggings, they would be consumed by jealousy. We must never let them meet!
These leggings looked perfect. Photo courtesy of Versace.
In the interesting materials department, there was also laminated lace. In black it was incorporated into this sex-ay corset-top dress.
I'm feeling a kind of warrior-queen/'80s Madonna vibe. Photo courtesy of Versace.
My favorite piece in the whole collection was a stunning laminated lace trench coat in lavender. It’s like the gorgeous child of my hairy purple jacket and my attention-getting trench coat from seasons past. For some reason, the photo doesn’t quite capture its beauty. Maybe you have to see it close up to appreciate the lace. I knew I should have brought a better camera — or at least one that wasn’t broken — to capture the details.
I want it! Photo courtesy of Versace.
IA loved that the trench made a little rustling noise. Anything this beautiful should be allowed to announce itself.
As for accessories, anyone into studs will appreciate this bag.
Mega-studs!
The style is called the Helena and is named after supermodel Helena Christensen. You know who will never get a Versace bag named after her? Me, thanks to my digressions into terrorism and murder in this post. Now I’m on the no-fly list AND the no-purse-name list. Dang!
As I was writing this, I read on Madison Avenue Spy that Versace is having a sale.A I’m going to check that out. It’s time for me to log off from eBay and see clothes in person!
If I had one of those dresses, I’d wear it every day and every night.
Love this collection… young and chic 🙂
This is hands down the best post i have read all month!!! i had to tweet the link,its had me laughing so hard i cried and cried.
Yes darling make sure the versace shiny legwear never come face to face with AA ones.
hehehhe
brill!!!
marian xxx
p.s do not get me started on the sloppiness of airport security!!! it was like they were just willing him to do the deed.oh you want to buy a ticket with cash,why not? oh you dont have no luggage with you? still no alarms going off!!!! In my opinion its only by Gods grace that nothing happened!
xxx
The prints on the fabric–and the colors–are just amazing.
wow! i’m so glad you got to go to this, it looked really fun and the collection is just so playful. something we’re really lacking these days…
Oo what pretties! LOVE the purple hairy jacket (I’m going to have to burgle you.) TSA is a joke. The guy was also on TWO watch lists. WTF do they have those lists for if they never bother to use them? Ugh.
XXX
Suzanne who’s anti-spam word is GODDESS appropriate? HA!
sometimes…i wonder…how will these two subjects inter-twine…when i read your twitter update…security lapses & versace…i couldn’t imagine what the two had in common…you somehow ALWAYS manage to pull it off…with great finesse! great post…and i agree with wearing THAT jacket for your license pic…everyone should have a chance to admire that fabulous jacket!
WOW. Love this post Wendy! I think I love that Madonna vibe dress is amazing…not to mention that crazy trench. Love!
I love how you managed to work airport security and Versace into the same post.
And that studded bag – insanely fabulous!
Thanks for sharing your awesome Versace items with your fans, WendyB. Miss J has a couple of Versace items from the early 90s. Who cares if they don’t fit? She ain’t partin’ with ’em.
“Terrorists, Saunter Aboard!” made Miss J lol.
All true – you are so right!
Love the trench too – imaging fighting for it the noise of it being pulled back and forth would make me end up laughing.
I adore that hairy purple jacket!!! And I’m with you on clothing that announces itself, nothing like a rustle of fabric to make one feel gorgeous. (Unless, of course, it’s corduroy-clad thighs rubbing together…hate that!)
Don’t get me started on the TSA either…I hate that I can’t carry on all my beauty potions anymore. This should be the TSA motto: Not Security…Security *Theater!* Oh, dear, am I going to be on a no-fly list now?
Damn…you are on a roll! Great post…still laughing. One of my best friends is head of security at our airport…Not TSA…sauntering…funny!…anyway, she is pissed off! Her work life is like a hundred percent worse now. She was like all, “Dude! You’ve totally fucked up my life!”
haha…its funny and cute that you wore you fav coat to renew your license.
damn–that trench rocks! i just love the mix of fancy and utility.
Wow. I’m glad you got to see it up close so I can imagine that I was there with you admiring shiny lace and oragami.
*le sigh*
Also meant to say that I adore that origami bird!
you are fabulous.
btw, my captcha word is “bergdorf” – couldn’t be more perfect!
too colorful for me but I love the pieces.
xoxo
Fuck the TSA. I will go back to drooling over that trenchcoat now.
Ugh! Thank you. I’ve been screaming at CNN all week over this airport thing. Like, if you are on a terrorist watchlist, you should NOT be allowed to fly. Period.
WTF? They should have German Shepherds at every airport in the world sniffing every last crotch for explosives chemicals.
Sniff my crotch, I’m innocent!!!!!!!!!!
Airport security is one of my pet peeves too. Not letting people read or go to the bathroom for the last hour of international flights is somehow going to thwart a terrorist attack?!
Love this post. Nobody could have included everything from airports to Versace better than you. So glad I’m not traveling right now. This collection looks amazing. Love the Madonna bustier dress. Love that she’s still sporting the look.
That corset dress is TDF and I can soo see you in the Lace Lavender Trench.
you have a shitload of links in here and i had to follow every damn one because i have the attention span of a fruit fly and the curiosity of a newborn.
however, having read through them all, i am DELIGHTFULLY jealous of your versace (ver-sayce) collection; that hairy coat is ridonkulous; f*** airport security; latex leggings rock my imaginary world; and YOU DID NEWS??? your life is awesome.
end of line.
i just saw your post last month of the ‘chicken-or-the-egg’ necklace and it is hands down the most delightfully ingenious and brilliant jewelry piece ever. there needs to be a parallel universe so that i can slowly collect your pieces!
I LOVE this collection too! Such a great use of color!
Nice to see some super-bright prints, and always happy to see the hairy jacket!
Love this post. I agree with all of your airport security musings. And I too, love GV’s signature on the silk dresses.
Those prints are incredible, and how neat that you got to see them in person. Thank you for sharing!
I really like the dresses with the fancy prints… but I’m glad they will be longer for every day ;).
I love the laminated lace touch. But I love your digression even more; it raises a great point. I have heard the US have introduced a new guideline of not allowing passengers to stand up for the last hour of the flight. Unless I am being incredibly dim, I don’t see how that would help security?? Whilst as you said, the most obvious common sense seems to evade them.
Another fabulous post, my favourite is the Versace signed pieces, they are stunning indeed!! I can so see you in the lavender trench, its lovely!! I’m pleased to have my own piece of Gianni Versace from Mrs Stings sale, one of my favourite wardrobe dresses!!
What a fabulous event, darling WB! You look amazing, per usual, and I am sooooo impressed with this collection! Especially loving that dress with the orange and blue ~ so SCUBA chic!
xoxox,
CC
The hubs would be all over those leggings due to his Underworld obsession. Ah ha. And Boo Lobbs….DYING!
That bag is amazing! And I love the boots. And your hairy purple coat 🙂
Wishing you a fabulous New Year’s!
fab*
My dream is to meet Donatella & strong her long hair!
xo
whoops…typo!
=stroke her hair!
I absolutely love those Gianni dresses of the 80’s.
wow!
I’m loving Versace at the moment! Donatella is on a roll.
i have not purchased Versace in a long time. happy new year wendy. may all your dreams come true in 2010. xo SG
I love Versace! And wearing that hairy purple jacket for your photo was a stroke of genius.
Your hairy purple jacket is gorgeous! I noticed it before reading any of the post! It’s such a beautiful, bold color.
I’m loving the neon in the collection.
Your hairy jacket is pretty sweet. And hilarious anecdote about airport security…people seem to tangle themselves up in their own rules and then forget to be simply observant.
You own an astonishing Versace collection!
BTW, is it just me or the black dress here is very Christopher Kane-ish?
This is a great post! Versace’s collection is really chic and edgy this season. It’s nice to see a focus on prints again. By the way, you never showed me your license!