The appetite for fashion seemed to grow exponentially in the 1990s. One way designers tried to satisfy this hunger was through secondary or “diffusion” lines. One of the buzziest was Versus Versace, a co-ed label. Not only was the Versace named link with sex, glamour, and celebrity, but this line was designed by Donatella Versace, she of the long blonde hair and canary diamond ring.
The spring 1997 collection told two main stories. One was about slinky evening dresses in knits or shiny satin. These were of varying lengths and hemlines. A red fishtailed number was photographed for the February 1997 issue of Vogue. The second concept was the use of clashing patterns and prints, the latter being a Donatella specialty.