Versace Kicks Off Paris Couture Week

Paris couture week kicked off on Sunday (January 20) with Donatella Versace revealing her latest creations for Atelier Versace, the haute couture wing of the Italian label's fashion empire.

Atelier Versace's Spring/Summer 2013 collection explored the relationship between architectural shapes and ethereal fabrics. Flowin g fabrics (chiffon and silk cady) contrasted nicely with the fitted dresses worn underneath. The overall silhouette was sleek and stream-lined with emphasized shoulders and a nipped-in waist.

Designer Donatella Versace told Reuters that she had been inspired by the building where she chose to stage her show.

"It all started when I came to see this place. I was speechless of the beauty and the architecture of the dome, of the glass, and the steel, iron because this woman tonight is about material and powerful and this is the place for me, what reminds me," she said.

The collection was pure Versace in terms of its color palette- a mix of fluorescent neon yellow and pink hues sprinkled with black and gold numbers.

This season, Atelier Versace aimed to render haute couture more modern by designing pieces that were wearable but still screamed luxury, such as the black pinstripe suits threaded with real 24-carat gold.

Donatella Versace brought Atelier Versace back to Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week last year following an eight-year hiatus.

"I'm allowed to do things that I cannot do for pret-à-porter, for example, I have two fabrics in this collection. One is black pinstripe, but the stripe is real gold. Another one is a denim, a Japanese denim, woven with real gold again. So you cannot do this kind of thing for example for pret-à-porter, it would cost a fortune. And these are special pieces, the clients of couture want something unique."

Celebrities in attendance included Oscar winner Kevin Costner and Princess Charlene of Monaco.

"It was very thoughtful [of Donatella Versace] to find me here in town and to make it possible... it's very generous. I mean a lot of people watching go, 'How do you get in the front row?' Um, I don't know, but we got that personal invite so we're flattered to be here," he said.

Paris Haute Couture Week runs through Thursday (January 24).