Donatella Versace's Fashion Legacy As She Celebrates Her 70th Birthday
On Friday, May 2 2025, Donatella Versace turns 70. One of the most prominent luxury designers in the industry, Donatella took the helm of her brother's luxury fashion house when, on July 15, 1997, he was shot dead outside his Miami residence, Casa Casuarina, on his return from a morning walk.
As the fashion world mourned, Donatella (who'd been responsible for diffusion line Versus since 1989), took over as creative director overnight and later became chief creative officer, a role she has excelled at until April this year, when, after much speculation, Prada Group acquired the Versace brand for €1.25bn ($1.38bn) from the fashion conglomerate Capri Holdings.
According to the Guardian newspaper, writing in April 2025, while the luxury fashion market has been facing a significant slowdown, the Prada Group has enjoyed success, reporting revenues of €5.4bn in 2024, 17% higher than the previous year. This increase was partly attributed to Miu Miu's success, which has almost doubled its profits this year, hitting close to £1bn in sales.
Despite the age difference —Gianni Versace was eight years older than Donatella— the two were especially close and had a significant influence on each other. He persuaded her to bleach her hair blonde when she was just eleven, inspired by the Italian pop star Patty Bravo, a look she still sports today.
Italian fashion designers Gianni (1946 - 1997) and Donatella Versace at the launch for their new ... More fragrance 'Versace's Blonde', USA, circa 1996. (Photo by Rose Hartman/)
When their mother died in 1978, Donatella left Florence University to join her brothers in Milan (her brother Santo took care of the business finances). She became Gianni's right-hand woman, muse, and strongest critic. She offered him a female perspective, daring him to go shorter or bolder. From 1989, she was responsible for the diffusion line Versus, and throughout the nineties, they worked very closely together.
Musician Sting, actress Trudie Styler, designers Gianni Versace and Donatella Versace, and musician ... More Elton John (Photo by Fairchild Archive/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images)
After Gianni's sudden death in 1997, his elder brother, Santo, became CEO of the company, and Donatella took over as creative director. She took the reins and decided that the show had to go on, never giving up, and showed tremendous courage when, three months later, she presented her first collection, the Spring/Summer 1998 show, as usual at the courtyard of Via Gesu in Milan.
Gianni's contemporaries offered support as they watched in the audience: Donna Karan, Giorgio Armani, Angela Missoni, Miuccia Prada, and Gianni's his mentor Karl Lagerfeld. And on the front row, a string of celebrities, including Cher, Boy George, and Demi Moore, sat watching. A neon sign opened the show. It read:
'This show is dedicated to our brother Gianni's love of work and to our entire staff, whose incredible love and devotion were so precious to our brother and mean so much to us. We thank each and every one of them.'
While respecting her brother Gianni's house codes, the silk prints, the Byzantian crosses, the colors in the iconic 'Pop' collection, the racy, sexy dresses and the spirit of rebellion that came with breaking barriers, she added her own, softer stamp to the fashion house. She also had a very clear vision for the brand, which kept her at the top of her game, and had a business awareness that went beyond the sketching pad. Together with Gianni, she had been instrumental in creating the concept of the supermodel in the 1990s and always had a sixth sense for product placement and for connecting with the right celebrities at the right time.
British singer and model Dua Lipa (C) and Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace (R) acknowledge ... More applause following the presentation of Versace's Women's Spring-Summer 2022 collection during the Fashion Week in Milan on September 24, 2021. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)
Some of the highlights in Donatella's career include Versace's Tribute collection for Spring/Summer 2018, marking the twentieth anniversary of Gianni's death, considered one of the most memorable shows in fashion history to date. It celebrated his work and life, showcased his enormous talent, and was shown at Milan's Triennale museum. In an impressive finale, as soon as the last model walked off the runway, the lights went down, the music faded and a DJ announced: 'Gianni this is for you''. A curtain was then unveiled at the back of the room, revealing Gianni's favorite models, Helena Christensen, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and Carla Bruni, dressed in archetypal Versace gold metal mesh long dresses.
MILAN, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 22: Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Helena ... More Christensen and Donatella Versace walk the runway at the Versace show during Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2018 on September 22, 2017 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by)
Her Spring/Summer 2000 tropical prints collection showcased the legendary green plunging 'jungle dress' that Jennifer Lopez wore to the 2000 Grammy Awards ceremony. The dress was such a sensation and so many people searched for it online that it crashed the internet, prompting Google to launch the Google Images search feature. The green dress, originally seen on Amber Valetta on the runway, was redesigned twenty years later for Spring/Summer 2020. This time, at the end of the show, Lopez stepped onto the catwalk wearing the new version of the jungle dress and later walked hand in hand and with Donatella as they received a standing ovation.
MILAN, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 20: Jennifer Lopez walks the runway at the Versace show during the Milan ... More Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2020 on September 20, 2019 in Milan, Italy. She is wearing a reimagined version of the green silk chiffon dress she wore to the 42nd Grammy Awards ceremony in 2000. (Photo by)
Another highpoint was Fendace, a collaboration between Versace and Fendi, when Silvia Venturini Fendi and Kim Jones (who was creative director of the house at the time) as 'team Fendi', and Donatella Versace swapped roles and created something new for the pre-fall 2022 show that closed the Milan Fashion Week. Fendace produced a fun collection of 50 looks, with plenty of logos, oroton (chain mail) and silk scarves with caps displayed by a stellar cast that included Amber Valletta, Kate Moss and her daughter, Lila Moss Hack, Naomi Campbell, Gigi Hadid and Precious Lee.
Runway at Fendace RTW Spring 2022 (Photo by Aitor Rosas Sune/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images)
Now that Prada has taken over Versace, Dario Vitale, previously the image director at Miu Miu, has replaced Donatella as Chief Creative Officer (a role she held for 27 years), effective from April 1, 2025. Donatella's new post is that of chief brand ambassador, allowing her to oversee the red-carpet dressing and champion the Versace brand and its values. In a press release from Capri Holdings Limited, Donatella Versace said she was excited to see Versace through new eyes. 'It has been the greatest honor of my life to carry on my brother Gianni's legacy. He was the true genius, but I hope I have some of his spirit and tenacity. In my new role as Chief Brand Ambassador, I will remain Versace's most passionate supporter. Versace is in my DNA and always in my heart.'
If history is anything to go by, we will see Donatella excel in her new role and bask in the glory of her legacy – one of great taste but also ample courage, strength and defiance in the face of adversity.
PARIS - SEPTEMBER 27: Mucia Prada and Donatella Versace attend a party to celebrate Suzy Menkes ... More Twenty Year Partnership with The Herald Tribune at the Musee Galliera on September 27, 2008 in Paris, France. (Photo by Michel Dufour/WireImage)
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