The moment the first model appeared on the runway of the Versace La Vacanza show, there was little doubt on who was the co-designer of the collection. From the ponytail bouffant to the makeup, it was signature Dua Lipa.
The English-Albanian musician is no stranger to Versace having worn the brand on multiple occasions and even walked the runway for its spring/summer 2022 collection. In fact, the La Vacanza collection was not the first instance that Lipa co-designed a Versace piece. Lipa’s appearance at the 2021 Grammys saw her in multiple Atelier Versace looks on the red carpet as well as onstage that she worked on with the brand.
The Versace La Vacanza collection marks the first time that the brand has ever collaborated with anyone on such a scale. And to be honest, no one else immediately comes to mind; this collaboration makes perfect sense.
Lipa’s current vintage-inspired aesthetics—mirrored by her Future Nostalgia album that’s teeming with disco-tinged and dance-inducing hits—was the main muse behind the collection. With that, the collection itself was an amalgamation of archival Versace prints and looks remixed with Lipa’s style. There’s no denying that every womenswear look on the runway would look completely at home in Lipa’s wardrobe.
The collection kicked off with a number of head-to-toe pink ensembles (perhaps an allusion to Lipa’s involvement with the Barbie film?) before switching gears with classic blacks and whites. Because this effectively was a collection themed around vacation, pieces ranged from printed bikinis to party dresses to tailoring paired with barely there inner layers—pretty much what one would expect of a Versace vacation.
Plenty of metallics were at play, which worked really well on the runway as the light hit at every possible angle. It was especially stunning in look 20 as a metal mesh mini skirt that was elevated further with crystal-embroidered butterflies. The latter was also a recurring motif apparent in a lot of the other pieces in the collection. It was part of one of the collection’s key prints reimagined with polka dots and ladybugs.
At a time where collaborations continue to be rife in the industry, the Versace La Vacanza collection wasn’t entirely new in its execution. But it was a fine example of how collaborations should be at times: seamless and fitting.
The collection was also immediately available for purchase in boutiques and online, in time for the upcoming summer months. Sure, it’s one that’s definitely designed to be commercial, but no one can say there’s hardly anything in it that’s not typical of any other Versace collection.
View the full Versace La Vacanza 2023 collection in the gallery below.
