by Linda Bezos 

Never has Versace been a minimalist meander into fashion. So the shock was palpable to find Versace's Haute Couture veering in that direction. But once that settled in the exquisite nature of the 19 looks exhibited at the Versace store on the Avenue Montaigne, suggested no real departure from what Donatella's Versace is but an addition to that fabled line. The introduction of 3D printing along with meticulously detailed dresses made for an intoxicating evening...something Versace can do with or without the usual grand introduction of overwhelming aesthetics. And that in itself makes Versace the early front-runner to this year's Haute Couture ball.