First announced back in October 2016, Zayn Malik's capsule collection for Versus has landed at long last. The sporty collection designed by the former One Direction star turned solo crooner comprises 10 pieces each of men’s and womenswear, including zip hoodies with Versus graphic logos, jeans with lateral lace-up details, sporty slip dresses, sweat tops, a leather jacket, a parka coat and bombers, all in Zayn's preferred colour palette of khaki green, wine, black and white, with splashes of red.
A reasonably casual dresser (certainly in comparison to former bandmate Harry Styles, who has embraced the world of high fashion, frequently wearing brands like Gucci and Charles Jeffrey), why has Zayn now turned his hand to design? It was actually girlfriend Gigi Hadid who introduced Malik to designer Donatella Versace. In an interview with The New York Times, Versace reflected on the first time she met the singer, admitting that she "was not exactly a fan of that band. But then I met him again when he started to date Gigi, who I work with all the time. And he impressed me very much— he was so mature, so thoughtful, treated her like such a gentleman. They are very nice young people, a lovely couple, in fact. And then he told me how much he loved fashion. It was then I knew he was the right face for what I had in mind."
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In March, Malik starred in the Spring 2017 campaign for Versus alongside Adwoa Aboah, photographed by Gigi, whetting our appetite for his upcoming collaboration. And on Saturday, Zayn finally revealed some teaser images from his own Versus Versace line. The "Pillow Talk" singer shared pictures on his Instagram and Twitter accounts, featuring himself and Bella Hadid, his girlfriend's sister, modelling the collection which is available from today. Both wear athleisure-inspired outfits in the teaser, with Bella in a purple bomber jacket, logoed bra top, jogging bottoms and perforated heels. Zayn wears a khaki parka coat, distressed jeans and a black top. The full campaign, released today, shot by photographer Greg Harris features a broader range of streetwear looks plus accessories such as a cap and cross-body bag.
"When I was a kid growing up in Bradford, England, wearing knock-off Versace, I never thought that one day I would actually be designing my own collection. Thanks so much to Donatella Versace for allowing me to do the coolest thing ever," Zayn revealed in a press statement. "When I see this collection, I see Zayn. His attitude, his energy and his individuality are in every single piece. I am so proud of what we have achieved together. The campaign defines everything I love about the new generation today," Donatella Versace added.
The collection debuts on 19th June at versusversace.com and in UK stores on 22nd June. A percentage of the net profits will be donated to charity.