Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2003, “Mysterious Midnights” collection by Donatella Versace.

In a golden, silent salon beyond time, Donatella appears. She doesn’t walk. She reigns. Her black gown — chiffon, lace, and jet beads — is a woven spell. Every fringe is a tear. Every embroidery, a vow. The jet-bead choker clings to her throat like a pact. Her straight blonde hair frames a face carved from night. She doesn’t smile. She knows. She doesn’t try to seduce. She commands.

That night, she wasn’t wearing a gown. She was invoking power.