‘Darling, it’s better, down where it’s wetter, take it from me…” sang Sebastian to Ariel in Disney’s 1989 hit The Little Mermaid. And so thought Donatella Versace this season, whose aquatic collection was directly inspired by such mythological creatures. Silver studded seahorse prints punctuated white neoprene shorts and cropped jackets, mauve seashells shimmered across pearlescent skirts and bras, while turquoise, green and yellow gowns glistened with crystals and rippled like they were caught in an underwater current. Elsewhere a series of brightly coloured chiffon mini-dresses created the illusion of a shoal of tropical fish. Shown at the family home on Via Gesu, artfully lit to capture the underwater mood, the collection was 100% Donatella through and through, even down to the sky-high Perspex platforms, and glossy voluminsed hair. The standout moment was the finale, which saw Sigrid Agren waft out in a skin-tight floor-length silver gown, slit to the thigh and fastened together by a giant silver starfish. Daryl Hannah would be proud.
Text: Holly Shackleton
Photography: Mitchell Sams
