When it comes to fashion and celebrity collaborations, few are as well-suited as Dua Lipa and Donatella Versace. The “Poison” singer launched her debut Versace collection, called “La Vacanza” (meaning holiday in Italian), with a star-studded show in Cannes on 23 May, marking the first time the Italian fashion house has opened up its design process to a collaborator in this way.
The collection itself is a mix of Barbiecore tailoring, chic buckled gowns, and glamorous swimwear. Fun prints of butterfly motifs and monochrome polka dots are threaded throughout the designs, while key pieces have been reworked from past collections for a modern reimagination. Metallic minidresses and signature Medusa jewellery are the icing on the cake, making it a cruise collection that will get your style juices flowing for your summer holiday.
Lipa’s relationship with the fashion house began in 2018 when she wore a Versace swimsuit to perform her hit single, “New Rules”, at the Brit Awards. “Donatella has supported me from the very beginning,” Dua told Vogue Magazine. “That Brits performance was very special to me.” Since then, she’s returned to her Versace roots a number of times, dipping into the extensive archive for her look at the 2022 Grammy Awards, amongst other stylish looks.
And the pairing makes sense. Lipa is not afraid to push the fashion boundaries and have fun with her wardrobe. Whether it’s a thong-baring minidress or a netted Spongebob Squarepants-inspired ensemble, she perfectly combines the sexy with the eccentric. “Dua represents the woman of today: she’s confident, strong, and she has the ability to influence people – not just because she’s famous, but because of her values,” Donatella added.
The show, which took place in the picturesque Boulevard de la Croisette during Cannes Film Festival, attracted an A-list crowd, too. Simone Ashley sat on the frow wearing a fuchsia pink minidress with cutout middle and lime trim, Lewis Hamilton rocked a black silk shirt, while Rosie Huntington-Whitely looked effortlessly chic in a black cutout blazer dress alongside fiancé, Jason Statham. While Dua’s new boyfriend, French director Romain Gavras, did not appear to be in attendance, they did go red carpet official on Friday, 19 May at the screening of the film “Omar La Fraise”.
It’s a busy week for Lipa who is also releasing her single “Dance the Night Away” for the upcoming “Barbie” movie, in which she appears as a blue-haired mermaid Barbie, on 26 May. We’ll be listening, while drooling over her “La Vacanza” collection. Read ahead to see more of the Cannes runway, and Lipa starring in the campaign herself.
