Donatella Weighs In On The New Fashion Model

Following announcements from Burberry and Tom Ford that they are opting for a see-now-buy-now model (throwing the fashion industry into a state ofdebate about the future of the fashion show), Donatella Versace has made her feelings clear on the subject.

"Right now in fashion, the future is all anyone can talk about. The internet and social media have changed everything. The old systems are collapsing. For many people, they find it terrifying," she told WWD. "They want everything in fashion to stay the same, as if smartphones had never been invented. I am the opposite. I cannot remember a time when fashion has been as exciting as it is today."

Versace was one of the first to embrace the model back in 2014, when she restructured her Versus label to make collections available to customers immediately - something that she says not only gratifies the consumer, but also the designer.

"The new generation who have grown up with the internet doesn't understand why it should wait six months before it can buy what it sees online," she continued. "For me as a designer it's amazing - I love to see people react so immediately to my work. Change is happening, whether people like it or not. Seeing the passion that young people have for Versace is one of the biggest pleasures of my career."

Whether or not Versace intends to mirror the Versus model at the mainline Versace label is yet to be seen, but with a predicted landslide effect in the wake of other big brands shaking things up, the brand is surely a favourite to follow suit.

"When people say fashion is moving too fast," she concluded, "I think we have to move faster and plan the future together.