Kate, Amber And Naomi Lead An Army Of Supermodels At A “Fendace” Show To Remember

“Please join me for an intimate creative experience,” read Donatella Versace’s invitation to the fashion pack on the closing day of the Milan spring/summer 2022 shows. The blockbuster production that unfolded on Sunday evening was by no means “intimate” when you consider the scores of fashion fans tuning in across the globe, but creativity between two of the biggest luxury houses in the world certainly abounded. Believe the hype – Fendace has landed. Just don’t call it a Fendi X Versace collaboration.

What unfolded was a fabulous switch-up, which saw Donatella Versace and Kim Jones swap roles to create two uniquely brilliant, logo-heavy collections inspired by their friendship and the cultural relevance of the two heavyweight brands they are at the helms of. First up, Jones, the king of transfusing streetwear and subcultural style through a luxury lens, put his mark on Versace with a little help from Kristen McMenamy, Paloma Elsesser, Lila Grace Moss, Karen Elson, Kate Moss and Amber Valletta.

Then, Mona Tougaard, Gigi Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski and Naomi Campbell brought to life the queen of no-holds-barred glamour Donatella’s Fendi vision, as Drake, Future and Young Thug blasted out “Way 2 Sexy” with intermittent “Ciao! Donatella!” broadcasts across the airwaves. It was to borrow the words of Dua Lipa, who opened the Versace spring/summer 2022 show on Friday and sat front row at the special showcase, “hotter than hell”.

Even more sizzling? Elizabeth Hurley, who sat front row with her son Damian, Iris Law and Winnie Harlow. The original Versace girl – who put the brand’s now-iconic safety-pin embellishment on the map at the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral more than 25 years ago – demonstrated the definition of smouldering, while Damian did his own version of Blue Steeling for the cameras.

It was a glitzy family affair from start to finish and reflective of the spirit of collaboration currently in the air. While Gucci’s “hacking” of Balenciaga will go down in history and Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons’s co-design partnership breaks new ground, no one can quite dial up the drama like Donatella and Kim. Brava.