Icon and designer-chief of one of the hottest fashion houses, Donatella Versace is turning 68 years old. Born on May 2nd, 1955, in Calabria, Italy, Donatella grew up watching her mother sew dresses, along with her brother, Gianni Versace, whom the brand started with in 1978. At the time, she was in charge of advertising campaigns and being Gianni’s muse.
By entering the fashion world with her brother, in the late 70s, Donatella picked up some experience. She had a perfume as a tribute from her brother, called “Blonde”, and designed a children’s line, called “Young Versace”, in 1993. She also had her name in a whole new label at Versace at the time, called “Versus”. In 2009, the label was revived and marked the fashion week schedule.
The TROUBLED beginning of an era
When Gianni was tragically murdered in 1997, Donatella took over the empire. At the start, the designer tried to constantly keep her brother’s style of clothing and shows. That wasn’t easy for Donatella to do, especially because the critics expected her to be a continuation of Gianni and his legacy.
In an interview to digital magazine SSENSE in 2018, she said that, the more she tried to keep up with him, the more insecure and lost she felt: “I made one mistake after another and tried to give people Gianni. But it was never enough Gianni”. This situation led to a cocaine addiction that occupied 18 years of her life.
Her addiction got into a point where Elton John offered help in her daughter’s Allegra party, in 2004. “I worked from early in the morning until late in the evening so I wouldn’t have to ask myself that question. In the few moments when I was alone with my addiction, I realized that I was very, very ill” – she would enter rehab the following day.
the memorable fashion shows
Since her recovery, Donatella managed to take Versace to the next level, making the business bigger than before. One of her most remarkable moments was the “Jungle Dress” that Jennifer Lopez wore at the 2000 Grammy Awards.
Another unforgettable point on her trajectory in the brand was the Spring 2018 Fashion Show honoring Gianni Versace, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of his tragic murder. The show was full of his classic prints from the 1980’s and 1990’s in a modern way. Another important part of the show were the original 1990’s supermodels, such as Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, Helena Christensen and Carla Bruni, closing the runway epically.
Nowadays, Versace is one of the most noticeable fashion house’s among people, and continues to dress celebrities, marking its presence in every red carpet.
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The article above was edited by Mariana do Patrocínio.
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