- The Versace Spring 2018 ready to wear show
was presented in Milan on September 22nd 2017.
- The idea behind the tribute show
was my brother. It was the 20 year anniversary of his death.
The young generation doesn't know
the story of Gianni in fashion.
So, I thought I would tell them a story
of what Gianni represents,
what was in his heart
and how in love he was with his work.
- We weren't sure how big it was going to be,
and obviously I had no idea how big it was going to be.
Like it was the best show ever.
This is a celebration of an icon.
- I'm Virginia Smith, the fashion director
of American Vogue.
Spring 2018, was the 20th anniversary
of Gianni Versace's death,
and Donnatella wanted to do a tribute show to him.
To see her get into a place to be confident
as a designer, and emotionally ready
to do a show like this was really
an incredible thing to experience.
- This is a celebration of a genius.
This is a celebration of an icon.
This is a celebration of my brother.
- The voiceover really felt like a personal message
from Donnatella to her brother.
- I am Ines Coutinho known artistically as Violet.
So what I did as part of the Versace Spring Collection
was come up with the music and the lyrics for the show.
It had to be something that was not just a homage
but also something that was full of love
and was very personal.
- Imagine a world without his risk taking,
his innovative genius, and above all,
his allegiance to women.
- I'm Laird Borrelli- Persson,
the archive editor at vogue.com.
It opened in very Gianni 1990's fashion
with a group of models.
Baroque is the best way to describe Versace's aesthetic.
- [Donnatella] I don't think any other designer was so
passionate about prints like Gianni.
Redoing his prints, I counted one print
was twenty-three colors.
Today, it's really not possible to do a print
in twenty-three colors.
- Our life, is your life.
It's not an easy journey away from anger,
but it's a powerful place. It frees you.
- And, then it went into his collection from Fall '92.
Natasha Poly actually wore the exact same look
that Naomi had originally worn in that show,
because I think it was too complicated to reproduce.
- [Donnatella] The only look that I couldn't redo,
was the one with Natasha Poly.
It's a haute couture piece.
Small stripes, around it, in organza.
I recollect thirty-five thousand of them,
and then we sewed it together,
at the time with Gianni, and made it a skirt.
We realized we need five or six months,
just to do the pieces to make the skirt.
So, I decided to pull that from the archive.
- Here's a Donnatella Versace favorite on Taylor Hill.
- Hi, I'm Taylor Hill and I was a model in this collection.
My look was look 23. I wore a trench coat
with some really cool black boots
with gold buckles on them, and a bolo tie.
The coat that I wore was from a previous collection
from her brother, and you know, just knowing
that was definitely a very special thing to have
in your head while you're walking down
the runway for Versace.
- Hi, my name's Guido.
I did the hair for the Versace show Spring/Summer '18.
I got introduced to Donnatella and Gianni Versace
in the early '90s when I worked
on an ad campaign with Richard Avedon.
I think the Versace hair-look is about an attitude really,
with this show, because there were so many girls
and there were so many clothes
it was about keeping the hair very simple
and really what you try to do every season
is kind of, slightly update the Versace woman.
- [McGrath] Hi, my name is Pat McGrath
and I am a makeup artist.
Donnatella wanted the skin to be dewy
and for them to be glowing.
For them to be at their most gorgeous.
I just remember that we were looking
at iconic Versace looks from the '90s
and bringing it, kind of, more up to date.
- We're continuing on to the next section,
which is all about pastels.
He contrasted the softness of these
pastel colors with strong, precise [inaudible]
as you can see.
- My name is Caroline Trentini,
I've been working with Versace
since my very, very beginning.
That's when I was, you know, 15 or 16 years old.
They've been a big, big support for me,
you know, throughout my whole career.
Donnatella, she makes you believe
that you belong there and that's a very special feeling.
- Mayowa is here in a beautiful pastel
dress with a side slip.
It has a [inaudible] waist and the detailing
is studded black leather, a nod to Gianni Versace's
very controversial 1992 collection 'Miss S&M'.
- I'm Mayowa Nicholas and I was a model at the show.
My favorite part of this look is the choker.
The minute that I wore that look,
I just felt like I got it.
I was just walking like I'm exactly
where I'm supposed to be.
- One of the bright spots
of this emotional collection was
Donnatella's reissue of the butterfly brand.
- The bathrobe, with the towel around the head,
I did exactly the same print,
in those colors, the butterflies - happy.
You know, let's give a moment of happiness.
- This next section features 'Les Trésors de la Mer'
that means 'Treasures of the Sea'.
Everything Gianni touched seemed golden,
he was this sort of [inaudible] of fashion,
and his relationship I think to nature
I view as sort of the same as it was to history.
More is more, in the universe of Versace.
- My name is Tami Williams and I was one of the models
as part of the show.
I felt powerful, I felt bold.
Before the show I would say a prayer
then get on the runway.
I would zone out and just be like,
this is my time to shine. I am here.
I am here to takeover.
- What was great about the casting
is that it was wonderful to see
Caroline Trentini and Doutzen and Natasha Poly,
who had been such big Versace girls
from the early 2000s and then they were accompanied
by today's 'It girls' of, you know,
Bella and Gigi and Kendall.
So it was a really fun mix of models.
- Then we had a Vogue tribute and Andy Warhol tribute.
- The iconic Spring '91 Vogue print
actually came as a result of Anna asking Gianni
to participate in a CFDA Vogue AIDS research benefit.
- Here's a supermodel moment
of 2020, we have Yasmin, Kaia walking her first show
for Versace, Vittoria and Mica.
Similar to those worn by the original supermodels.
- I gave to Kaia, the jumpsuit,
all embroidered, with the covers of Vogue.
On one of the covers, was Cindy.
She started to cry - Kaia, she said
"I can't believe you gave me this,
I can't believe you gave me this."
It was so personal, it was so touching.
- I'm Yasmin Wijnaldum and I was a model
in the Versace Spring/Summer 2018 show.
This print, it's so iconic.
I actually wore this dress in a Vogue cover that I did.
Walking as a group for this look,
this was my second look was actually really fun,
I've never done that before.
We were all kind of nervous though,
and I remember before we walked out
me and Vittoria had tight dresses
so we couldn't walk as fast as Kaia and Mica,
so we were like "guys, don't walk too fast"
and it actually looks amazing.
- The catholic imagination was really
alive in Gianni's work.
We see on the back of Mariacarla's jacket
the Madonna and child.
The crosses that we see at the close of the show
are quite similar to those from
the Fall 1997 couture collection.
- Gianni was the first designer who did crosses.
At that time, Gianni liked Byzantine,
everything was Byzantine, you find a lot of art
of Byzantine in the churches in Italy.
It was the first time something religious was put
on the runway from a designer.
- Overall there's definitely a sense
of saint and sinner in Versace's work.
I think he had a lot of fun with this,
although many people were really scandalized.
We're still talking about Elizabeth Hurley
in that safety pin dress.
- We knew there would be something special
for the 20th anniversary but we had no idea
what was in store for us.
- You're hearing whispers and rumors
backstage that Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford,
Naomi Campbell, like the greats are somewhere around.
- [Wijnaldum] When I was backstage none of the models
had any idea that these iconic supermodels
were going to be in the show.
It was a surprise for us as well.
- Gianni, this is for you.
[cheers]
Gianni created the supermodel.
So, what a better finale than to try
to give this tribute to Gianni,
to take these supermodels and put them
on the runway as a surprise.
- It's always amazing reuniting with them because,
you know, we grew up as almost a family, as sisters.
We're united forever in some strange beautiful way.
- Oh My God, it was unbelievable
and I could feel the energy of the crowd
and the shock, and people got up and were like
screaming and crying because it was just unbelievable.
It was quite the reunion,
and it was really amazing to be there.
- If Gianni was alive he would be so proud, for sure,
we all felt, you know, the Versace spirit, definitely.
- You know, it was just like an explosion
of joy and celebration and I'm absolutely sure that Gianni
was a part of it, was there in the room with us.
- It was so emotional, they were so happy.
It was a dream. Thank God I did it,
Gianni would be happy. If he can see, he's happy.
[upbeat music]