Superwoman

Born in southern Italy, in Reggio Calabria, Donatella studied languages at the university of Florence before joining her brother Gianni in the Versace adventure. As the couturier’s sister, best friend and muse, she helped him on all the collections, took decisions with him and supervised each of the legendary campaigns by Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Helmut Newton. In 1994, she became the creative director of Versus, Versace’s rebellious second brand. After the tragic death of Gianni in 1997, she succeeded him. In a superb book, recently published by Rizzoli, Donatella shares her best memories of working with Versace. Peppered with personal anecdotes and illustrated with exclusive archive images, the book looks at some of the most memorable red carpet looks and publicity campaigns in the ‘90s. Proud of its past and firmly anchored in the present, Donatella strongly is confident about the future. After Australia and Macao, she has just inaugurated the Palazzo Versace in Dubai, where she worked on the decor. She has a keen eye for talent and called on Christopher Kane, J.W. Anderson and Anthony Vaccarello to revive Versus. She has also announced a collaboration with Zayn Malik. Gigi Hadid’s boyfriend is the first pop star to have designed a Versus capsule collection for men and women. This Zayn X Versus collection will be in stores in May 2017 and part of the profits will be donated to social causes. Intuitive and audacious, Donatella chose the option of see now/buy now/wear now for Versus. This means that pieces from the brand are available for purchase right after the show. Fascinated by the digital world and a fond user of Instagram, she updates her feed regularly with her favourite things and behind-the-scenes shots from the house of Versace.

The Spring-Summer 2017 collection is energetic, sporty and extremely feminine. According to her, the clothes are designed for women who love to take risks.

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1. Versace Spring-Summer 2017 show.

2. Extract from the book “Versace” published by Rizzoli. Richard Avedon’s campaign in 1994.

4. Donatella Versace with Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss in 1998.

Women, as Donatella sees them

How would you define the Versace woman?

Versace creations are not designed one single type of woman. It is all about the attitude, the rebellious spirit, showcased by women from different backgrounds. That is extremely important to me. Today, we need to concentrate on the individuality of the woman as well as on the strength of her personality. I like women who have made it on their own and who are successful in all aspects of their life.

What has the house of Versace given to women since its inception?

Versace has always helped women feel strong, powerful and proud. Women have come a long way but they still have miles to go. Fashion is an extremely important instrument as it speaks to millions of women across the globe. Versace is synonymous with emancipation, independence and strength.

What do you want to give women through your creations?

When I design my creations, I always think of today’s woman and the complexity of modern life. She has a good job, a family, friends, a social life and private life. She is absolute control of her life. This is a message that I want to send out through my shows as well. Fashion helps women to express themselves and show off their power.

What satisfies you?

Emancipation! Women have the right to achieve whatever they wish.

What kind of women do you admire?

I love women who fight for their rights, like myself, who are in love with life and who make the best of every moment. I also love women who are true to themselves.