Donatella Versace, the heiress who carried on Gianni’s legacy

The ever-flamboyant Donatella Versace, who is set to step down as artistic director of the Milanese fashion house founded by her late brother Gianni at the end of March, has spent decades keeping the brand at the pinnacle of glamor and opulence.

For many, Versace is synonymous with bold, provocative fashion—much like Donatella herself, the younger sister of Gianni, who launched the Medusa-head label in 1978.

Yet industry insiders know there’s more to the story. Versace, which remained a family-run business until 2018, was built on technical prowess and craftsmanship. Despite years of uncertainty, Donatella’s vision and resilience helped keep the brand relevant.

She inherited the creative reins under tragic circumstances following the 1997 murder of Gianni outside his lavish Miami villa. And for years, she struggled to step out of his shadow.

At once charismatic and distant, confident yet deeply self-conscious, the designer—recognizable by her smoky eyes and signature platinum hair—embodied power while privately battling imposter syndrome.

“For a long time, I felt like I was only here because of a tragedy, not because I deserved it,” she once admitted in her unmistakable nasal voice. “I would have much rather had him alive and still been working alongside him.”

Born on May 2, 1955, in Reggio Calabria, at the southern tip of Italy, Donatella grew up in the shadow of her older brothers, Santo and Gianni. Their mother owned a small dressmaking shop, and from an early age, Donatella—who dyed her hair blonde as a teenager—became Gianni’s muse.

She followed him to Florence to study fashion and later to Milan, where he began making a name for himself. As his self-proclaimed “muse and advisor,” she played an instrumental role in shaping Versace’s signature baroque-meets-sensuality aesthetic.

Draped in leather and teetering on sky-high stilettos, Donatella was not just a creative force but also a master of image-making. A Hollywood insider before it was the norm, she was among the first designers to tap celebrities as brand ambassadors, casting Madonna, Prince, and Elton John in her campaigns.

She also understood the power of top photographers (Avedon, Steven Meisel) and the new generation of supermodels, signing Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, and Carla Bruni. “These new models changed fashion and became part of the Versace family,” she explained in a documentary by Loïc Prigent.

Known for surrounding herself with beautiful men, she married Versace model Paul Beck in 1983, with whom she had two children, Allegra and Daniel—both adored by their uncle Gianni.

Fashion as a weapon

Gianni’s murder at the hands of a mentally unstable man marked the end of Versace’s golden age. In his will, he left 20% of the company to Donatella, 30% to Santo, and the remaining 50% to Allegra.

Thrust into the creative director role, Donatella struggled to find her footing. While she had previously overseen Versace’s advertising campaigns and the Versus line, she had never been at the helm of the house.

The industry wasn’t kind. Lacking confidence, she spiraled into depression, and the brand suffered alongside her. While other luxury houses expanded globally, Versace’s revenue plummeted—from $1 billion in 1996 to less than half that by 2009.

The tabloids reveled in her dramatic plastic surgery transformations and her daughter Allegra’s battle with anorexia. Donatella’s own struggles with cocaine addiction culminated in an intervention staged by her friends, leading to a stint in rehab in 2004.

The turning point came in 2009 with the arrival of CEO Gian Giacomo Ferraris. Under his leadership, Versace diversified—expanding into hospitality, watches, and fragrance—and made a bold return to haute couture with daring statement-making designs.

Now sober, Donatella learned to embrace her past. She owned her mistakes, leaned into her survivor status, and even joked about her signature armor-like looks, saying they made her feel invincible. Her close friend Lady Gaga even dedicated a song to her, playfully mocking public perceptions.

“Versace will always be Versace: glamorous, sexy, and unapologetically luxurious,” she told “Libération.” “I never considered an alternative or thought about a Plan B. My entire life has revolved around fashion and Versace.”

Approaching 70, Donatella isn’t walking away just yet. Starting April 1, she will take on the role of Versace’s chief ambassador, overseeing the brand’s philanthropic initiatives.

By Raphaëlle PICARD