Donatella Versace

Donatella Francesca Versace, born 2 May 1955 in Reggio di Calabria, Italy, is an Italian fashion designer, businesswoman, socialite, and model. She is best known for her work with the luxury fashion brand Versace, founded by her brother Gianni Versace. Together with Gianni, she helped fuse Italian luxury with pop culture and celebrity, and the pair are credited with pioneering the supermodel phenomenon of the 1990s by casting editorial models on runway shows.

Versace grew up as the youngest of four children alongside her siblings Santo, Gianni, and Tina. Her father Antonio helped run a coal mining business, while her mother Francesca was a seamstress who later established her own fashion boutique. Following the death of her sister Tina at age twelve, Donatella remained close to Gianni, who convinced her to dye her hair blonde when she was eleven years old. In the mid-1970s, she studied literature and languages in Florence while commuting to Milan on weekends to work with Gianni at the Callaghan fashion label.

In 1976, Donatella and Santo joined Gianni in Milan, and the trio toured the United States in 1977 to build international business relationships. The Versace company was founded in 1978 with Donatella as vice president. She contributed heavily to styling, image creation, and accessory design, while serving as Gianni's creative partner and muse. During 1996 and early 1997, while Gianni was recovering from cancer, she took over much of the company's operational decision-making. Following Gianni's murder in July 1997, she inherited a portion of the company and became its creative director.

On 18 July 1998, Versace staged her first haute couture presentation for Atelier Versace at the Hôtel Ritz Paris, constructing a sheer glass runway over the hotel's swimming pool. Over her career, she directed high-profile advertising campaigns featuring stars such as Madonna, Courtney Love, Demi Moore, Beyoncé, and Lady Gaga. At the 42nd Grammy Awards in 2000, singer Jennifer Lopez wore a green Versace "Jungle-Dress" designed by Donatella, an event that generated massive public interest and directly prompted the creation of Google Images. Beyond fashion, Versace played a key role in designing the Palazzo Versace Australia resort and the Palazzo Versace Dubai hotel.

Throughout her career, Versace has received widespread industry recognition, including the Bambi Award for Fashion, the CFDA International Award, and several Fashion Designer of the Year honors from Glamour. In March 2025, after nearly 28 years as CEO of the Versace brand, she announced her upcoming departure, with Dario Vitale selected to take over the role later that summer.

In her personal life, Versace was married to American model Paul Beck, with whom she has two children, Allegra and Daniel, prior to their marriage ending in 2000. She divides her time between residences in Milan and on Lake Maggiore.