Viva Versace

(MILAN) "I couldn't be happier with the way everything turned out," said Donatella Versace at the beautifully-lit courtyard at Versace HQ just hours after her big, bold triumph. "I'm satisfied, I'm excited, and now I just have to play host and make sure everyone is fed and happy!"  After a few seasons of hosting famously tiny dinners, the designer decided to democratize the guest list a bit and host 120 or so friends in a buffet-style garden gathering. The weather was flawless and so was the food, which was conjured up by the Versace family's personal chef. That means six types of hand-rolled pastas catering to lobster and spinach lovers alike!

Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri were two of the earliest arrivals, and the current Bazaar cover girl was just happy to be in Donatella's fine company. "She continuously inspires me," Jackson said. "Donatella is just a sweet, nurturing woman and the show was unbelievable, of course. There's definitely a reason to celebrate." Of course, just a few months ago, Versace designed outfits for the entire Jackson family to wear at Michael's public memorial.

Allegra Versace, Mario Testino, Pat McGrath and Alexandre Plokhov were just some of the other familiars, alongside a small army of EICs and creative directors. Versace personally welcomed Suzy Menkes just minutes after the critic posted a glowing review of the show. Christopher Kane, meanwhile, still had the Versus presentation to worry about. "Donatella has been so supportive of me for the last four years, it's been unbeilvable," said the Brit. "But I've been working on adrenaline since London. And I've had hard time sleeping at night because of humidity here. Maybe I just need a good drink--I'm Scottish after all!"
VALENTINE UHOVSKI