Fashion's foremost purveyor of sex and sensuality as a status symbol has turned her attentions to the female empowerment debate. 

'This is a collection about the power of a woman,' Donatella Versace said of her autumn 2014 collection. 'Not just her inner strength, but the attitude she presents to the world.'

That power was presented literally, in a collection full of tics adapted from military uniform, from an opening sequence of strictly cut, almost mod-esque, dresses decorated with gilt frogging at waist and neckline, and epaulettes on knitwear. Later on there was even a white silk trouser suit for evening that felt distinctly officer and a gentleman.

'Every woman can find that power in Versace,' she added.

Provided they can afford it, of course. But she was right: there were tailored jackets (cropped and nipped in in the military style); a cobalt blue cocoon coat with a 60s sack back; and precisely cut cigarette pants. It was wearable, and it had broad appeal.

And it felt like a real change for the label - cleaner and more modern. But it isn't actually that much of a diversion: Donatella has cleverly been instigating this new mood across her mainline and Atelier collections for several seasons now, in cunning use of mesh, hook and eye construction and artistic slashing and draping - techniques to create all the sexy illusion this label is famed for without being, well, overtly sexy.

She used similar in this collection, on sinuous and slinky but nonetheless mid-length bias cut silk and fitted shift dresses fringed at pannier height. There were meshy minis dripping sequins, of course, but they were in the minority and they left more to the imagination than usual.

That said, the Versace woman is no drudge. She might not be showing her skin, but she's wearing that of a cute animal - chubbies of woven fur were banded with chevrons of diamanté and column dresses came in a matte pillarbox red, like a blotted lip, with giant gold brocade sash.

It's fascinating to see how Versace fits itself to the current vogue for ease and pragmatism, for comfort dressed up in politics. Arguably, Donatella has been helping girls to get what they want for years, but hers haven't always been considered the most PC of tactics, even if they are the most persuasive.

But this collection didn't feel like a departure or out of character. The only stretch here was in the skin-tight trousers and that's exactly where you want it.