Are Polka Dots Back? Versace’s Latest Collection Says Yes

I vividly remember this dress I bought from Forever New for my 13th birthday.

It was a mini dress with a bubble skirt, strapless with a sweetheart neckline, in a white crepe material that had giant black polka dots all over it. I wore it with my first-ever pair of kitten heels and a high ponytail and I felt like a million bucks.

Truth be told, I’d probably still wear that dress today — especially now, with the return of Y2K fashion.

But if you’d told me that drop one of Versace’s Spring-Summer 2023 would be reminiscent of my 13-year-old party dress — I simply wouldn’t have believed you.

Look one and three of Atelier Versace SS 2023 has dropped on Instagram, revealing polka dot gowns in a black and white and red and white colourway.

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The black and white version, look one, is a maxi gown, with a balloon layered skirt, mullet skirt hemline, a pinched fabric silhouette and revealing bra detail. It’s very reminiscent of Italian couture in the early ’00s, so aptly captured by that iconic scene in “The Lizzie McGuire Movie” — where Lizzie tries on dresses as pop star doppleganger, Isabella.

One dress in particular comes to mind — the Igloo dress. To be fair, that dress lives in my mind rent free, but I can’t help but notice a similarity in colour palette and silhouette in Versace’s look one from their latest drop.

Versace’s latest styles are also giving “101 Dalmations” vibes. Like, if Cruella De Vil was able to get her hands on the pups, we’re pretty sure she would’ve made something like this.

And, while no animals were harmed in the making of these Versace looks, we’re definitely seeing an undeniable animal motif floating throughout current high fashion drops. We’re loving faux fur, novelty animal clutches, actual imagery of animals — both 3D faux taxidermy and 2D in fabrics — and alternative animal prints, like zebra, cow and now, Dalmations?

But is it animal print-inspired, or just a re-emergence of the polka dot? It’s been a hot minute since we’ve seen polka dots done in a high fashion way. We’re not mad at it, though. How could anyone be mad at Versace? They’re yet to take a step wrong, when it comes to timeless European style.

Plus, they’ve also incorporated our other favourite 2023 high fashion trend: opera gloves.

It does feel, however, that we’re getting a bit comfortable in recycling old ideas. I don’t want to be cynical — I’m actually quite thrilled at the idea of wearing polka dots once more — I just want to see them done in a fresh and exciting way.

Perhaps it’s all about how we style them.