It's the first time in over ten years that the house of Versace will be absent from the Paris haute catwalks. Instead of a runway show, the glitz and glam Milanese house will present its couture collection in its flagship Paris boutique on January 20. While Donatella's latest couture collections have garnered positive reviews and contained plenty of magazine spread worthy looks, she has suffered her share of critical barracking.

It's a pity that Donatella Versace won't be present at the runway shows. Given her talent in attracting celebrities as Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna, the lack of a Versace show will drastically reduce the razzmatazz quotient in the Paris season. The decision of Versace is said to be 'a strategic reflection'. The move is sure to provoke speculation that the Italian fashion house is also feeling the pinch from the recent slump in consumer spending.