Donatella Versace | Success story of a luxury designer

Donatella Francesca Versace is a renowned Italian fashion designer. She began her career under her brother’s label ‘Gianni Versace SpA.’ She’s a success story for all the girls out there who want to build themselves in the fashion industry. She started as vice president of the company. But now she is working in the position of chief Designer & vice president at Versace.

Early Life

On May 2, 1955, in Reggio Calabria, Italy, Donatella Versace was born. She was the youngest of four children. Unfortunately, her sister Tina died of tetanus when she was just twelve. After her death, Donatella and her siblings took over the name of Versace.

Gianni, the second oldest, moved to Milan in 1972 and started his fashion career. He was a very talented guy; he could draw almost any dress in the world. When he was small, he practiced under the surveillance of his mother. Later, when he was able enough, he started to work independently and made the House of Versace more prosperous. Also, he was quite adamant about keeping the label exclusively in Italy for a long time. Gianni’s story is a perfect example of rags to riches, his work paid off, and eventually, he became one of the biggest designers to live.

Later in 1973, Donatella went to study foreign languages in Florence. She trained to become a teacher. On the other hand, she frequently visited Milan to help her brother in business. Donatella was an influential critic of his art, and he evaluated her insights & reviews often.

Career

On July 15, 1997, an American serial killer, Andrew Cunanan, shot Gianni outside his Miami Beach home. Immediately after the incident, the House of Versace fell apart in pieces. But Donatella knew the house was Gianni’s love. And after an extended leave from Gianni Versace SpA, Donatella Francesca restarted the company. She assumed the roles of chief Designer & vice president of the board. She got a 20 percent stake in the company. Donatella pulled the House of Versace brand back to life, which was on the verge of losing its shine after the death of Gianni.

As artistic director and vice president, she did some of the noticeable changes in the campaign maps of the company. Firstly, she promoted the company’s image through her PR skills and confident design direction. Second, she increased her company’s presence in markets worldwide, i.e., launched the label globally. Her advertising activity grew in Europe and the United States. Thirdly, Versace added the faces of stars like Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, and Beyonce to the Versace fashion line. People like Sir Elton John, Kate Moss, and Prince Charles attended her parties. And finally, having such connections gave her high social status, which helped her in the company’s growth. Now, she often collaborates with celebrities to create fashion lines.

Memorable Works

She designed The Palazzo Versace Australia resort on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, which opened in September 2000 and played a significant role in the design of The Palazzo Versace Dubai, the second Palazzo Versace hotel, which opened in November 2016. This label designed the Mini Cooper for the Life Ball, one of the most beautifully designed cars. In September 2017, Donatella Francesca Versace set up a tribute show dedicated to her brother.

Awards

Lesson to Learn

Donatella once said, “It’s no good being too easily swayed by people’s opinions. You have to believe in yourself.” The belief system is the biggest and most valuable asset one can own. Trust yourself and the decisions you make because you’ve got the power to define yourself. It’s a harsh world; people around can’t stop criticizing. But you can stop paying attention to such things, let them talk because you know who you are.

Recent Update:

In June 2022, Donatella Versace collaborated with the Goddess of Pop, Cher. The two collaborated in the pride month to launch a line of products. The money that will be collected by selling these products will directly go to Gender Spectrum. Gender Spectrum helps the LGBTQ+ community. They are focused on creating a better environment for the LGBTQ+ community, especially the children and young adults. The pride month collaboration between the Italian luxury brand and Cher will be known as “Chersace.” Products will be ranging between $125 to $3,350. The limited edition collection will offer tees, socks and caps exclusively on Versace’s official e-commerce platform. 

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