Well known is our love of Ms Donatella Versace, who, fresh from being ordained as “Fashion Icon” at Monday’s Fashion Awards, once again graced us with her presence as she threw open the doors of Versace’s new store on Sloane Street last night. Naturally she looked mucho fabuloso for the occasion in new season Versace, flanked with the finest of accessories – two Versace-clad supermodels, Ms Irina Shayk and Natasha Poly who joined her for an intimate cocktail party to celebrate the new West London store.
Alongside the opening, an exhibition that celebrated Versace past and present, setting unseen archive photographs by Doug Ordway, next to the chainmail Oroton dresses worn by legendary supers Naomi, Helena, Claudia, Carla and Cindy at the Spring 2018 show, as a tribute to the late, great Gianni Versace.
“I created this new boutique not only as a connection between London’s architectural heritage and Milan’s cultural history, but also as a dialogue between the legacy and the future of Versace,” said Donatella of the store. “I wanted the space to be a link between the world of Versace and our customers, creating a welcoming yet glamorous atmosphere.”
Naturally, the store is the height of House of Versace opulence – Fior di bosco marble, onyx, brass, etc. etc. – but the vast 560 square foot store doesn’t just look good, it’s also good for the world – expecting to get a gold/platinum rating for its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.
“The new London boutique will be the first one on Sloane Street to become LEED certified,” Donatella said of the scheme. “This is the first step of a much larger project, and I am very proud of it. It means that this store will not only save energy and water, but it will also reduce waste and support human health. Nowadays if you don’t think differently, if you don’t respect the planet, then you cannot move forward.”
Versace is also giving back this holiday season by donating 10% of all proceeds from the new store from the 6th to 19th December to Centrepoint, the leading youth homelessness charity in the UK.
Photographs by Darren Gerrish
