As they walked over a carpet of multicolored  if in an enchanted forest, the nymphs of Atelier Versace brought to mind Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night Dream with their long fluid layered chiffon dresses, floral velvet headbands and micro-bead twisted straps placed ivy-like on the back.

Primarily using a palette of dreamy pastels (dusted pink, pale green, and lavender) with flashes of brighter ones (tangerine, shocking pink), Donatella Versace was in a romantic mood for her Fall 2015 Haute Couture Collection, wanting to showcase "the softer side" of women though there was still plenty of sexiness.

The Italian couturier used micro chainmail on her bodice, velvet flowers and micro-beads as shoulder straps as well as fasteners (recalling the famous punk pin-dress of her brother Gianni Versace, with the tiny beads now acting as safety pins).

Tiny crystals were discreetly used to create or underline curves on her corseted bodice, while the silk chiffon that seemed as light as air was frayed at the edges to give it an ethereal look.

The fluidity of the fabrics of this collection, with long romantic bell sleeves and asymmetric skirts, was a nice contrast to the rigidity of the figure-hugging looks in primary colors of her spring 2015 collection, which celebrated a woman’s curves with peak-a-boo undulating cuttings and a more aggressive sexuality.

This season, the Versace woman is more temptress than seductress, keeping an alluring air of mysteries.

As first published on BLOUIN ARTINFO.com