Enfnts Terribles

With the new collection, designer Donatella Versace wants to take us away from the scary reality to an optimistic, underwater city, Versacepolis, where strong and confident people live. The clothes are meant to bring us joy. In a statement beneath the livestream on YouTube, Donatella Versace shared: “I wanted to create something disruptive, something that could be in tune with what has changed inside all of us. To me, that meant dreaming of a new world. A world made of popping colors and fantastic creatures and a world in which we can all coexist peacefully.”

Now, you understand why Jill Kortleve, Precious Lee, and Alva Claire, the three curvy models, wore bold, exuberant colors to exude a future of optimism and hope. So, let’s get to know these three faces.

1. Jill Kortleve

The Dutch model Jill Kortleve describes herself on Instagram as a small-town girl, but with 173K followers on Instagram and an impressively growing resume, this model should be watched out for!

Kortleve walked her first big runway in October 2018, for none other than British designer Alexander McQueen. A year later, she became the face for a campaign of Fenty Beauty, Rihanna’s cosmetics brand. That same year, in September, Kortleve walked for the famous French brand Mugler, together with models like Bella Hadid.

And at the start of 2020, Kortleve made her debut at a runway show for French label Jacquemus, something most models dream of. On top of that, she became Chanel’s first plus-size model. Even with the coronavirus canceling a lot of plans, Kortleve was booked again for an online runway show by Jacquemus in July 2020.

Despite her previous success, walking for Versace was still a huge milestone for Kortleve. “This is such a historical moment and I can’t believe it actually happened. I’m still shaking,” she wrote on her Instagram. “It’s so unbelievable to work for brands I always dreamt of working for. I hope that we open the doors for a new generation with the same dreams but who never saw themselves in the magazines or the commercials.”

3. Alva Claire

Alva Claire’s passion is putting a different image out there in the world and that’s definitely what she did at Versace’s runway. The model grew up in South London, her mother comes from the USA and her father from Jamaica. At the age of twelve, she modeled for the first time, but it didn’t lead to anything. Five years later, she read about plus-size modeling and tried it out again. She got signed to a small agency in London, but it was a rough path to success. She almost quit, until she modeled for ASOS magazine. There, she sensed that the industry was changing and wanted to be part of it, so she became a full-time model.

Previously, Claire worked for different brands like H&M and appeared on Rihanna’s lingerie Savage x Fenty show. After Versace’s runway, she posted online: “I’m so emotional writing this, to walk for the iconic Versace has always been a huge dream of mine!! I am so proud of @preciousleexoxo @jilla.tequila and myself we made history with this and I will never forget how I feel right now! This moment is for all of us!!! I’m full of love!”

Photos by Versace