Supermodels assemble for catwalk tribute to Gianni Versace

Los Angeles, Sep 23 (IANS) Celebrated fashion designer Donatella Versace hit the runway for the Versace show with the supermodels like Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford. The show marked the 20th anniversary of Gianni's murder.

Donatella joined supermodels Carla Bruni, Schiffer, Campbell, Crawford and Helena Christensen, who all donned matching metallic gold dresses and looked as gorgeous as they did all those years ago, during Milan Fashion Week on Friday.

The show marked the 20th anniversary of Gianni's murder, reports theguardian.com.

Donatella, who took over as designer soon after her brother's sudden death, presented a blockbuster tribute show that ended with five of these original supermodels taking to the catwalk together, soundtracked by George Michael's "Freedom".

The finale was designed to reenact one of Gianni Versace's most iconic moments from 1991, when four supermodels walked arm in arm on the runway as George Michael sat in the front row.

At a press conference before the show Donatella said that the catwalk rehearsal with the star models - whom she referred to as "icons", rather than supermodels - had been the most emotional moment of the preparations.

"But today I am not sad. I am happy that after 20 years I can finally do this with a smile on my face," she said, adding that she had been kept busy by the antics of her five stars.

She added: "They have a green room each, but they are running in and out of each other's rooms all day. And because they walk the runway together they are arguing about who gets to go in the middle, just like the old days."

She used prints from her brother's collections between 1991 and 1995 as the basis for this collection.

"The silhouettes are all new because the shapes from those days look dated today," she said.

She added: "Except the leggings. Everyone loves the leggings again. The models like Gigi and Bella are always asking me where they can get the nineties Versace leggings."

She decided on his famously exuberant prints as the best homage to her brother because "Gianni was all about joy, and so full of life, and the prints really express that spirit".

Leopard from the Animaliercollection of 1992, Greek keys from the Baroque collection of 1991 and Marilyn screenprints from the 1991 Warhol show were revisited for this season.

Alessandro Michele of Gucci, Pierpaolo Piccioli of Valentino and Anthony Vaccarello of Saint Laurent were among the designers who had accepted Donatella's invitation to attend the show.