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Donatella VersaceThe sister of the famous fashion designer, after his death she headed the House of Versace
Date of Birth: 02.05.1956
Country:  Italy |
Content:
Biography of Donatella Versace
Donatella Versace, the sister of the famous designer, took over the reins of the Versace House after his death. Many doubted the success of the petite Italian woman who, at the age of 42, took charge of one of the most famous fashion houses after her brother's tragic death. The Versace House was predicted to have a short existence. However, just three months after the death of her legendary brother, Donatella presented her first collection of the main Versace line to the fashion public. The somewhat reserved reception did not deter the energetic Italian woman with platinum hair. She continued to work intensively, managing all the collections previously started and simultaneously searching for her own style.
Early Life
Donatella was born in Calabria in 1956 into a family of a simple seamstress, ten years after the birth of Gianni Versace. The future fashion designer adored his younger sister, who became his muse, comrade, and best critic. She later confessed that at the age of 11, she wore clothes Gianni specially created for her. After completing university, Donatella moved to Milan to join Gianni, who had already established his own fashion house. She took on the role of PR director, while their older brother Santo, an economist by education, began to manage the finances of the family business, Versace. Soon, in addition to image and advertising matters, Donatella also took charge of the new youth line, Versus, which infused its own energy into the overall multimillion-dollar turnover of the Versace company. Gianni made no mistake in inviting his energetic relatives to the most responsible positions.
Success and Style
Taking over the family business after her brother's death, Donatella, while staying within the style created by Gianni, made the new Versace models more feminine, comfortable, and less aggressively sexual. However, eroticism and luxury remained unchanged components of the recognizable Versace style. Being a master at conducting advertising campaigns and creating an image, Donatella quickly restored the shaky position of the House in the fashion world and earned the respect of fellow designers and businessmen. Following Gianni's advertising traditions, she emphasized the involvement of celebrities, without whom no fashion show could be complete. Elton John, Liz Hurley, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Kate Moss were regular guests at Versace shows. Madonna, Demi Moore, and Halle Berry participated in the latest Versace advertisements.
Achievements and Personal Life
Thanks to her unstoppable energy and smooth collaboration with her brother Santo, the petite native of Southern Italy, standing at just 162 cm, achieved the almost impossible feat of surpassing $560 million in annual turnover for the company in 1998. Currently, under her leadership, there are 40 stylists, 17 clothing lines being developed, around 300 boutiques, and 3000 retail points. Donatella is happily married to former model Paul Beck, an American, for 17 years. They have two children growing up - a 10-year-old son, Daniel, and a 15-year-old daughter, Allegra, who, by the way, inherited a large portion of the Versace fortune according to Gianni's will. On December 7, 2005, in Leipzig, Germany, she was awarded the "Woman of the Year" prize. Donatella Versace, who made a true revolution in the fashion world and in her own biography last year, radically changing her perception of reality, was honored with the award for "Designer of the Year."
