Versace show in Paris drips with bling

Donatella Versace dazzled Paris on a dark, snowy night Sunday with a spring couture collection heavy on 24-carat gold pinstripes and crystal embroidery that some might say tended toward bling.

Hollywood actor Kevin Costner, Princess Charlene of Monaco, actresses Melissa George and Olivia Munn, and rapper Ne-Yo were among those who turned out.

Versace, whose collection was shown the night before the rest of the couture shows begin, said she took inspiration from the “architectural splendor of glass domes where the fragility of glass contrasts with the strength of iron and steel beams.”

Creations most clearly illustrating the theme included a black column evening dress in a geometric pattern with embroidered bustier and a fluorescent yellow chiffon mini dress encrusted with crystals.

Fittingly, the show was held beneath a domed roof some 17 meters (55 feet) high created by the company of Eiffel Tower architect Gustave Eiffel.

Hedi Slimane, meanwhile, wrapped up the menswear shows with his first, eagerly anticipated Saint Laurent collection for men.

Credited with revolutionizing menswear during his stint at Dior from 2000 to 2007, in the past Slimane made headlines for teaming jackets cut short with narrow trousers in an androgynous, pencil-thin look copied by mass-market designers worldwide.

Rock and grunge appeared to have influenced his first Saint Laurent menswear collection, prompting a surge of favorable comments on Twitter. French President Francois Hollande’s partner Valerie Trierweiler was among those in the front row.

Earlier, most notably, Dutch designer Lucas Ossendrijver and Lanvin artistic director Alber Elbaz presented a chic and relaxed collection for winter 2013. Coats were loose-fitting and soft-shouldered or belted, quilted and body-hugging. Ties were narrow, worn with sheer shirts in orange and lilac while footwear featured calf-high boots and sneakers. AFP