Paris Hilton may have lost her dog, but she's still winning.
The original influencer closed Versace's Spring/Summer 2023 runway show in a perfectly Paris look. Sparkly, pink, and slinky, the heiress' ensemble — a diamanté mini-dress paired with fingerless gloves and a matching veil — was a sly nod to her 21st birthday outfit, one of the most iconic fashion moments of the early 2000s.
Versace's entire collection was clearly inspired by the era during which Hilton rose to fame: Y2K, baby.
Fashion's obsession with the period's colorful, over-the-top futurism is far from over, at least according to Ms. Donatella. Low-rise mini-skirts, cargo pants, and crystal-studded bags all made an appearance on the runway. Touches of '90s grunge-meets-boho-Barbie kept the collection from verging into costume territory.
If you thought Versace's footwear couldn't get chunkier than those famous platform pumps, you're wrong. Faces including Gigi and Bella Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski, and Precious Lee clomped down the catwalk in gigantic, Bratz-reminiscent boots. Elsewhere in YASSified footwear, strappy, Teva-like sandals perched atop chunky platforms of their own.
Versace managed to stage a quintessentially Y2K runway moment, leading me to wonder: where do designers go from here? How much more can fashion mine from the era until low-rise jeans and butterfly tops become passé?
As you ponder, keep your eyes peeled for Hilton's beloved missing chihuahua, Diamond Baby.
