Filling late Gianni Versace’s shoes can be daunting task. Since her appointment as the creative director of the mammoth Italian fashion label Gianni’s little sis, Donatella, has constantly been compared to her brother whose masterful ability to merge operatic colors, theatrical silhouettes, and a Fellini-esque sensuality into bravura design defined a colorful chapter in fashion history. Despite her spirited struggles to find a distinctive style, the infamous blondie could eradicate the lingering effects of Gianni’s genius on his namesake fashion empire. Donatella’s earlier efforts to carve her niche did not do the trick, but this time around Donatella has a completely new set of tricks up her sleeve. Deeply impacted by her struggle to reclaim sobriety and a recent trip to Palm Springs, this season the royal sister has decided to tone down the glitz and glamour in favor of elegant, sleek, and clean clothes.

Jumpstarting the show with a beautiful trio of resort dolls, sporting long coiffed manes, dressed in different shades of toffee, coffee, and ivory, Donatella set the mood for chic resort living. For daywear she paraded a lovely mélange of fitted pencil skirts, cropped Capri pants, short shorts, jersey camisoles, ruched tops, and off the shoulder peasant dresses.

But no Versace show would be complete without a long procession of sexy gowns encrusted in shimmering beads and crystals. Opting to combine a broad range of vibrant hues like purple, magenta, pistachio, peach, and ivory into lithe floor length chiffon dresses Donatella proved swanky glamour can be achieved without the bejeweled look. But for her die hard fans like Liz Hurley she also threw in a few ornate show stoppers.

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