At Versace, '90s Supermodel Shalom Harlow Returns To The Runway

As fashion wades through the waters of an identity crisis, some designers are swimming against the tide while others are swimming free. Those of the indie, or up-and-coming, variety are making a name for themselves while older, more established houses are struggling to keep up with trends born not on the runway but the street.

But this is Versace we’re talking about and Donatella — by hard-earned reputation and, let’s face it, default — can do no wrong. It’s why her spring 2019 collection for her eponymous Italian fashion house hit all the right notes. But it came with a shock factor that was beyond the clothes. Nineties supermodel Shalom Harlow made her long awaited return to the runway. Shalom Harlow!

In case you aren’t familiar with the '90s super: to start, the Canadian model has six Vogue covers. In the ‘90s, she co-hosted House of Style on MTV. And in 2003, she played Judy Green in How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. On top of that, she’s featured in campaigns for just about every luxury fashion house you can think of, including opening and closing their runways shows. And let’s not forget her lead role in Alexander McQueen’s legendary spring 1999 show, when she stood on a spinning platform as spray gun-wielding robots pelted her with lime green and black paint.

Beyond the cast of supermodels from the '90s to now, Donatella proved that – after seasons of opulent, oversized silhouettes – the time is ripe to return to her central belief: that short and shiny doesn't have to mean cheap. There were some styling tricks we haven't seen from the brand in a while, like camisoles over T-shirts and dresses, sneakers with party dresses, and sheer fabric layered in between panels of thick silk and leather. It was a collection full of clashing prints and clothes that don’t exactly qualify for the whole day-to-night thing. It made sense, then, that models-cum-personalities Emily Ratajkowski and Kendall Jenner also took to the runway. But Shalom stole the show. How could she not?