New York fashion week has already seen one European import. British designer Gareth Pugh put on a multimedia extravaganza at the South Street Seaport on Thursday with Lexus and its #designdisrupted initiative. But the real shake-up will happen on Sunday, when Italian superstar Donatella Versace and Anthony Vaccarello, a Belgian of Italian descent, present their Versus Versace collection, and make it available via e-commerce directly afterward. Not just a few of the pieces either, but all of them. It′s anybody′s guess which will be more chaotic, the shopping section of versusversace.com or the after-party at Metropolitan West. As they finalized fittings yesterday, Versace and Vaccarello sat down with Style.com to discuss how the partnership began and the surprising direction in which it could be headed.
How did you two come together?
Donatella Versace: I′ve been watching Anthony from the start. What I thought when I saw him was Versace refreshed, a new eye. When I started to ask friends of mine, ″If you had to choose a designer for Versus,″ usually people tell me the opposite of my taste. Anthony Vaccarello was coming up everywhere. I decided to meet him. He′s so talented. He doesn′t need me, he doesn’t need anybody, his talent is there. But it’s very important for me the first feeling [I get] from a person. Maybe I’m wrong, but usually I’m not. Is the person is true? Does he have the guts to say what he thinks? Anthony does.
How did it feel to get that call?
Anthony Vaccarello: It was a dream. It was like meeting a legend. Versace was everywhere [when I was young]. Everyone is inspired by that house, even if you’re the most minimal designer. For me, it’s about opulence, about joy, happiness. It’s a luck to work with someone who did so much iconic things and is still… My heart was beating when I first entered that Bristol [Hotel] room.
Can you describe your working relationship?
DV: It’s all about Anthony’s vision, his inspiration. Of course, I was there to discuss. The more freedom you give, the more I think you get what you want.
What does Versus stand for for you, Anthony?
AV: For me Versus is a mix of girl and boy. For me it’s rock, but not rock music, rock attitude. It’s freedom, it’s leather, it’s short, it’s young. It’s black and white.
And you, Donatella?
DV: It’s totally digital. Right now, Versus has to reach a new kind of tribe. It’s out there on the Internet, and it’s digital in the sense of ‘I see it, I want it now.’ The newest thing about all of this is you can wear it tomorrow.
AV: It′s the way fashion has to go [forward]. Because everyone is copying everyone. We present a show, and it’s out in Zara one month after.
Tell me about the clothes.
DV: We did a lot of tailoring. I’m crazy for tailoring at the moment. Gianni was all about the tailoring, and bringing back the tailoring is so new.
AV: I went back to my memories of what Versus was back in the day. I want to take that vibe and that energy to someone new. I think accessories are very important for Versus, so I was excited to put lions [an icon of the label] everywhere. I want to say wearable….
DV: Wearable doesn’t mean commercial. “Commercial” is a bad word for designers. “Wearable” is a good word.
Anthony, what have you learned at Versus so far?
AV: The process of producing everything for the day after the show is amazing. I learned to do prints, which I’ve never done before. Even working with a big team, it’s amazing. For my own collection, we are only four people. I also learned how to do men’s, that was hard.
Is this the beginning of a beautiful relationship?
DV: Yes, he asked me to marry him. I’m thinking about it [everyone laughs]. Change is good, but not all the time. Sometimes when you find the right thing you should stop for a while.
