Donatella Versace is a fashion designer, model, and businesswoman whose estimated net worth is $200 million. She is the sister of murdered fashion designer Gianni Versace. She was born in Reggio di Calabria (Italy) on May 2nd, 1955. Donatella Versace is the youngest of four siblings. Her father was a personal financier of the Italian aristocracy. One older sister, Tina, died at the age of twelve for an inadequately treated tetanus infection.
Beginning of her career.
In the 70s Donatella followed the footsteps of her older brother, Gianni, beginning to design knitwear in Florence, Italy while studying languages. After her graduation, she shared a flat with her brother in Milan. Donatella had planned to work for her brother in Public Relations, but for him it was more valuable to have her as a “muse and critic,” according to Donatella during an interview with Vogue magazine. Through her closeness to her brother’s businesses, Donatella got into the fashion world.
A decade later, in the 1980s, Gianni launched a perfume dedicated to her, Blonde, and gave her own label, Versus, which remains a well-known Versace interior line.
The growth of Donatella and Versace.
Before the murder of her brother Gianni, in July 1997, Donatella and Santo Versace carried out secondary works in his fashion house. However, after Gianni’s murder, Donatella and Santo took over his brother’s business. Santo is also fashion designer and owner of Finanziaria Versace, a branch of Versace Enterprise.
Donatella was the first to use celebrities to spread her clothes in the catwalk world, as well as other public media (such as advertisements) rather than using unknown models. Donatella soon proved to be one of the great public relations within the Versace brand, spreading it throughout Europe and the United States.
Donatella opted to put some of her good friends, Lil ‘Kim, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Courtney Love, Christina Aguilera, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Demi Moore in the Versace advertising industry, so they and other celebrities (such as Beyoncé and January Jones) promoted the Versace image.
Promotion and success.
One year and three days after Gianni’s death in July 1998, Donatella Versace organized her first Versace Atelier parade at the Ritz Hotel in Paris. She built her catwalk over the hotel pool, just as her brother had done every season, although this time with pure glass. She now supervises each year collections (a dozen collections).
Her regular clients include Sir Elton John, Liz Hurley, Rakeem Young, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Kate Moss. Even Prince Charles attends the Donatella festivities in Europe. In 2005, she selected Madonna to be the British spokesman for the firm in an agreement that was reported in $5 million.
Public image and impact on popular culture.
Donatella is a regular person in the tabloids, and she is impersonated by her peculiar image, very tanned and blonde platinum hair, being personified in humorously by actors like Maya Rudolph at Saturday Night Live. Donatella has also made cameos in several films related to fashion industry, such as Zoolander.
