Tate McRae’s Cutout-Filled Versace Dress Is a Nod to Fashion History

Last weekend, Tate McRae was on the Lollapalooza stage dipping herself into 660 gallons of liquid gold. A few days later, she has already moved on to the next history-making style statement—and this time, it’s courtesy of Versace.

At Variety’s 2026 Power of Young Hollywood event on Wednesday night, the singer stepped out in a cutout-filled gown from Versace’s spring 1998 collection—Donatella Versace’s debut for the brand. The strapless number has an all-black exterior with a turquoise lining, which was exposed with a thigh-high side slit. The back made the biggest statement: A slanted cutout was held together by teal Versace medallions. Styled by Chloé and Chenelle Delgadillo, she finished the look with turquoise satin heels and gold Versace Medusa jewelry.

While the 23-year-old star is no stranger to vintage Versace, this look marks a particularly special reference. The spring 1998 runway was Donatella Versace’s official debut as the brand’s creative director. In the wake of her brother Gianni Versace’s murder in 1997, Donatella was tasked with taking the reins and honoring his vision. The resulting star-studded runway—full of bodycon draping, skillful cutouts, and languid sheers—did just that. It featured supermodels Linda Evangelista, Kate Moss, Shalom Harlow, and Naomi Campbell who wore a version of the dress McRae donned on the red carpet. On the runway, the design was all the more risqué, with a latex-like shine and a plunging open back.

At the Variety event, McRae received the Triple Threat Award—recognizing her talents in songwriting, singing, and dancing. “I’ve realized that I am incapable of doing anything casually in my life,” she said in her speech, reflecting on how taking recreational dance classes and writing poetry in her bedroom turned into a career. “I guess I have a slight problem with doing the most at all times. It’s not like I was soaking in gold paint two days ago or anything.” Dousing yourself in gold is one thing, but matching with Naomi Campbell is an entirely new stratosphere of chic.