Monique Lhuillier’s got a wild streak. 

For spring, the doyenne of all things pretty and prim worked leopard spots into her formalwear for the first time. And she didn’t stop there — pieced metal accents featured as well, calling to mind Gianni Versace’s iconic safety pin collection from 1994.

“I wanted to introduce a bold contrast to our signature romanticism,” the designer explained via email. “These touches are for the woman who embraces elegance with attitude.” 

Indeed, a strapless column decked top-to-toe in leopard-printed micro sequins oozed attitude, as did a high-neck ruched maxi in white jersey with said metal piercing placed high on the waist. It just barely held together a pelvic-grazing slit for an updated take on Liz Hurley in Versace at the Oscar’s on the arm of Hugh Grant.

That dress was black, of course, paving the way for LBDs to become a red carpet mainstay. No stranger to Hollywood, Lhuillier offered a few takes of her own, like a corseted lace gown with a pin-tucked chiffon skirt that jived well with the season’s vampier mood. 

Other colors with names like lake, meadow and flamingo hewed closer to her brand of ethereal femininity. Recalling the great outdoors, they underscored another change for Lhuillier, who swapped her usual destination shoot for one indoors at her L.A. studio.

“I wanted to strip it back and let the clothes speak for themselves,” she said, adding that the plainness allows for heightened attention to bespoke details like Calla lily-shaped necklines and raffia pansy embellishments. Another thing it allows for is the woman to fill in the empty space. Without a French chateau or ritzy hotel in the background to steer her ideas, she’s free to dream. And that’s always been the allure of Lhuillier.