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By Timothy Hagy
At Versace, Vibrant is the Word
Donatella left no doubt that the House of Versace is alive and well,
pulsing
with sex and glamour. In a stellar show held in the Ritz on Monday
evening,
star power must have been on her mind.
At show time, the lights dimmed, and then Christina Aguilera emerged
from
backstage surrounded by a flotilla of security guards and ladies in
waiting.
But the real glitter was to be found on the catwalk.
Models descended a curving stairway and made their way along a thin,
gold
runway swirling around circles of light.
From the opening lacy bell-bottom slacks tied up with rhinestone belts,
to
the exquisite series of beaded evening dresses dusted with plumes, the
curvaceous silhouette was worked to absolutely sensuous delight.
Asymmetrical skirts and designs with ingenious cut-outs, revealing
patches
of alabaster skin and sculpted legs, added further seduction.
In a testimony to Italian craftsmanship par none, the meticulous
embroidery,
as in a beige evening dress frosted with crystal, could give the famed
Parisian couture ateliers an anxiety attack.
With pastel shades of lavender, dusty rose, and sea-foam green
reinforcing
the legerity of the pieces, they seemed so light as to melt in the
spotlight.
"It was absolutely beautiful", said André Leon Talley, American Vogue's
Editor-at-Large, as he sat contentedly front row afterwards, looking
hesitant to move.
Spellbinding it most certainly was, and a major comeback for the House
of
Versace, which had not presented a runway show for the past two couture
seasons.
In a late night Versace Atelier Party, held in a VIP room on the
Champs-Elysées, copious quantities of Moët et Chandon Brut Impérial
champagne flowed, while beautiful young ladies mingled with a set of
chiseled male models just arrived in town from Milan.
As hundreds of votive lights flickered, the cast of "Sex in the City"
also
joined the fashion crowd for a delightful evening. In a humorous scene,
not
likely to be part of the episode being filmed this week at Dior
Headquarters
on Avenue Montaigne, Mr. Big emerged from the stall in the unisex
bathroom,
only to be chastised by two British demoiselles for having not washed
his
hands. His response, which may not be printed here, left no doubt as to
the
cleanliness of his person.
Near the bewitching hour, while certain members of the International
press
corps were reclining on plush divans, Donatella and Ms. Aguilera made a
sensational entrance to a barrage of paparazzi. The latter was weighted
down
with a diamond necklace that looked to have come right out of the Royal
treasury, and Donatella, clearly enjoying the magical moment, beamed
amid
the flashes.
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