25 Facts About Donatella Versace

1.

Donatella Francesca Versace is an Italian fashion designer, businesswoman, socialite, and model.

2.

Donatella Versace is the sister of Gianni Versace, founder of the luxury fashion company Versace, with whom she worked closely on the development of the brand and in particular its combining of Italian luxury with pop culture and celebrity.

3.

Donatella Versace was born in Reggio di Calabria, Italy, the youngest of four children; Santo, Gianni, and Tina.

4.

Donatella Versace's father, Antonio Versace, helped run the family coal mining business, and her mother, Francesca Versace, was a seamstress for a fashion company before setting up her own fashion boutique.

5.

Always close to her brother Gianni, Donatella Versace was persuaded by him to dye her hair blonde at 11 years old in honor of the Italian singer Patty Pravo, of whom he was a big fan.

6.

Donatella Versace's mother did not approve, wanting her to focus instead on her studies, and would check up on Donatella Versace with surprise visits to Florence.

7.

The Versace brand was established in 1978, with Donatella employed as vice president, although she collaborated with Gianni across all projects, especially in styling, creating the brand image, and designing the brand's accessories, shoes, and handbags.

8.

Donatella Versace is widely considered to have been both a creative partner and muse to Gianni.

9.

Donatella Versace worked with fashion photographer Richard Avedon on the Spring-Summer 1980 campaign shoot, his first for the brand, and would art direct Avedon on the Spring-Summer 1993 campaign.

10.

Gianni Versace's book The Art of Being You, published posthumously in 1997, includes a dedication to Gianni from Donatella and Santo which reads "This book is a tribute to a great artist himself, to someone who lived with an incredible love for art, to a very special person who was always fascinated by art and artists and always supported them, our brother Gianni".

11.

On 18 July 1998, one year and three days after Gianni's death, Donatella Versace mounted her first haute couture show for the Versace Atelier at the Hotel Ritz Paris.

12.

Donatella Versace built her runway over the hotel's swimming pool, as her brother had done every season, though this time using sheer glass.

13.

From October 2002 to January 2003, Gianni and Donatella's best known Versace clothing was displayed in a special exhibit of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

14.

Donatella Versace designed the Green Versace dress of Jennifer Lopez, known as the "Jungle-Dress", which was worn by Lopez at the 42nd Grammy Awards in 2000.

15.

Donatella Versace designed a Mini Cooper for the Life Ball.

16.

In September 2017, Donatella Versace set up a tribute show dedicated to her brother.

17.

Donatella Versace fought a cocaine addiction for 18 years until 2005.

18.

Donatella Versace continues to be a patron of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

19.

Alongside supermodel Naomi Campbell, in 1998 Donatella Versace organized a benefit fashion show in support of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, raising thousands of dollars for the charity.

20.

In 2008, Donatella Versace staged its first fashion show in China as part of a charity fund-raiser auction and dinner as part of a yearlong partnership in benefit of the Jet Li One Foundation to open children's centers for post-trauma and psychological relief in China's Sichuan province, following an earthquake in the region.

21.

Donatella Versace criticized the authenticity of the TV series, stating that she was with Madonna when the murder occurred, a moment that is not in the pictures.

22.

In 2022, Donatella Versace took part in an onstage skit alongside musicians Dua Lipa and Megan Thee Stallion at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

23.

Dua and Megan came to the stage in matching black floor-length gowns before Donatella Versace joined them on the stage and unclipped a part of each dress to reveal different looks.

24.

Also in 2022, Donatella Versace's team assisted with making Cardi B's shiny gold chain outfit for the Met Gala.

25.

In 2023, Donatella Versace designed a strapless safety pin dress with white tweed, pearl accents and camellia flower details which was worn by Anne Hathaway at the Met Gala.