Versace Goes Wild with Dominatrix Punk in Milan

Italian fashion icon Donatella Versace brought her own spin to punk on Friday, unveiling a collection dominated by fierce outfits in shiny black, white, or lipstick red vinyls and deadly accessories.

"I started thinking, what would we call the new punk today? This collection is my answer. It is sexy, strong, brave and full of energy," she said.

The autumn/winter 2013 collection, dubbed "VUNK" by the label (Versace punk), opened with a black vinyl corset swimsuit, fastened with a white fur clasp at the neck, and worn under an open, oversized coat with towering heels.

Punk met dominatrix as brightly colored monotone outfits in shiny vinyl, often slit open across the upper chest, stormed down the stark white catwalk.

Men be warned, the new Versace woman is not to be crossed: long and very sharp-looking silver or diamante spikes graced most outfits, worn as chokers or clasps, while extra large nails were used as earrings or ornaments on dresses.

The silver adornments so loved by Donatella, the sister of the late fashion legend Gianni Versace, also graced shoulder bags, while boots were studded.

It was not all about the vinyl: there were fur coats and small jackets in bumble-bee yellows and blacks, and the label said new interpretations of animal prints had been developed for Versace by American artists The Haas Brothers.

There were also tartan kilts in black and white, worn with thigh-high boots.

But it was hard to get away from it. Even black woollen coats had vinyl lapels, and an evening dress featuring a spider web motif, a recurring trend this season in Milan, had panels of vinyl inserted down the front and back.

Perhaps the most eye-catching creation was a fetish-inspired silver harness, which stretched -- spikes and all -- from a choker at the neck down to the waist, with two belts running across chest and midriff, worn over punk t-shirts.