Versace sets the tone for Haute Couture with sensual spring collection

The Versace woman has always been a bold one, but the fashion house took its daring twist on glamour to new heights at its Spring 2016 Haute Couture show on Sunday.

The show opened with a series of taut, minimalist looks featuring crisp white ski pants and bomber jackets with sporty buckle details in a nod to the current athleisure trend. White blazers with contrast panels, geometric dresses with mesh inserts and laser-cutout miniskirts all channeled a young, powerful and independent vibe.

The collection then evolved into something much more sensual as swishy, cutaway dresses took over. Slashed to the hip and the navel and cinched in at the waist, the designs were an homage to womanly curves, exaggerated by strategically placed flashes of skin across the hip bones and barely there straps. Harness-like necklines, straps made from rope and silicone grills made for an overtly sexy yet very feminine look.

As Donatella Versace used bejeweled Swarovski ropes to hang dresses from the neck or string sequined panels together, flared skirts gave the collection a dramatic floaty, Riviera-style appeal while retaining every inch of the high-voltage glamour that the house is so well loved for.