atelier versace

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When it comes to couture, most celebrities play it safe. Wearing fashion’s highest artform can be daunting, and the desire to stay true to a designer’s vision often hinders experimentation. Thankfully, stars like Blake Lively think outside the box. At the New York premiere of husband Ryan Reynolds’ new sci-fi drama, The Adam Project, Lively arrived in a dazzling mix of high-end and accessible fashion. Dipping into the archives to unearth a rainbow gown from Atelier Versace, Lively brought back the spring 2019 collection, one of Donatella’s most festive in recent memory. A mix of pastel shades—lavender, periwinkle, pink, and baby blue—with a thigh-baring slit, her look was a romantic take on Versace’s trademark sexiness.
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Most of the couture worn at premieres or events is styled to match what is presented on the runway, but having worn more than her share of sultry Atelier Versace creations, Lively decided to have fun with things. Throwing on a long, light-wash jean jacket, Chanel’s hot pink flap clutch, and Gucci’s rhinestone-embellished Mallory sandals, she utilized multiple labels. Lively, who doesn’t rely on a stylist and isn’t boxed in by a brand contract, is free to mix and match labels in a way that feels true to her personality and as she posed in her pastel finery for the photographers gathered outside Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall she seemed in her element.
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Though she removed her outerwear to walk the step and repeat with Reynolds, the addition of the casual staple is what made Lively’s outfit a standout. A simple way to take ultra-luxury pieces off their pedestal and bring them into the real world, the jean jacket added nonchalance to the look and an easy-to-replicate style lesson. You might not have a piece of Versace couture hanging at the back of your closet, but odds are there’s some denim there waiting to be incorporated into your evening wear.
Originally published in Vogue.com

Carrie Bradshaw in her Atelier Versace gown in And Just Like That. Photo: Courtesy of HBO Max
Since And Just Like That hit the airwaves in December, fashion-lover Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) has been wearing outfits that are a mixture of the old and new. In some episodes she wears new pieces like a Carolina Herrera shirtdress; in others, she revives old classics that she first wore in her Sex and the City days, including her trusty blue Manolos and Fendi Baguette bags. In the latest episode, however, Carrie returned to one her best Sex and the City–era dresses of all time—you may recognize it from her disastrous trip to Paris in Season 6.
If you’re a diehard fan of the original show, you’ll remember that Carrie moves to Paris to be with her new artist lover, Aleksandr Petrovsky. (She ends up lonely, and Big comes to her rescue and returns her to her beloved New York). In the two-part series finale, she gets all glammed up for a night out with Petrovsky, wearing Atelier Versace’s Mille Feuille gown with an epic tulle skirt (it’s reportedly valued at $80,000). Only the boyfriend never shows up, and she ends up falling asleep in the glamorous creation in her bed.
In episode eight of And Just Like That, Carrie busts out the dazzling gown once again to show it to Seema Patel, her real-estate agent/friend. “Do you want to see something amazing? It is my pride and joy,” Carrie says. “I’ve only worn her twice. Once in Paris. And once here, just for fun. I sat at that window and ate a whole thing of Jiffy Pop.” While the gown seems to have never gotten her epic night-out, Carrie has clearly held onto her for sentimental value. Who can blame her? But she does say that eventually she’ll pass it down to Charlotte’s daughter Lily, who has been helping her with her clothing archiving. Lucky girl.
Originally published in Vogue.com