100 Most Influential People in Fashion

Fashion Influential #32: Donatella Versace

Donatella Versace in Whitney Museum Of American Art's Gala And Studio Party - Arrivals

Designer Donatella Versace attends the 2008 Whitney Museum of American Art's gala and studio party at the Whitney Museum of American Art on October 20, 2008 in New York City. (Getty Images)more pics » DONATELLA VERSACE
Born:
May 2, 1955 in Reggio Calabria, Italy
Parodied by:
Maya Rudolph, Gina Gershon
Fans:
Jennifer Lopez, Brangelina, Elizabeth Hurley, Kate Hudson
Fan of:
Karl Lagerfeld
Beginnings.
Donatella Versace, the late Gianni Versace's little sister, had never intended to become a designer. For many years, she served as "muse and critic" to her famous brother, helping him to establish his extremely successful brand. A year after Gianni's tragic murder in 1997, Donatella presented her first couture show for Versace at the Hotel Ritz Paris, securing the label's reputation for bold, ultra-sexy designs.

Career Highs.
Donatella Versace has made a name for herself and her family company by securing celebrity endorsements. Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Madonna are all devoted fans of Versace's sex-bomb designs. It was Jennifer Lopez who really put Donatella Versace in the limelight, however, when she wore an infamous green Versace gown to the 2000 Grammy Awards.
"Even if I wear jeans, I look glamorous...I have sweatshirts, of course. But they are very well fitted, you know."
- Donatella Versace

Donatella Versace picture gallery.
Career Lows.
2004 was not a good year for Donatella. The market for ultrasexy dresses that require the use of double-stick tape was no longer what it had been, apparently: the Versace Group posted a $120m debt, causing some to speculate Donatella had run her brother's company into the ground. Things looked even bleaker for the Versace label when Donatella announced her plans to seek treatment for cocaine addiction later that year.

Legacy.
Healthy and addiction-free, Donatella brought new management to the company and renovated the signature Versace style for the times. Recent Versace collections have displayed more of a focus on cut and proportion than navel-baring, which has brought the company back into a profit. Versace remains the name of raw, sensual clothing - but now, in a tidier presentation.

Pictures from Versace Spring 2009.
Get the Look.
The Versace aesthetic is about sex. Plunging necklines, clingy fabrics, and glitter are all definite musts. Spring/Summer 2009 is showing a lot of metallics and pastels in retro minidress cuts, often paired with thin belts. If you hope to steal a bit from Donatella's personal style, your heels should be high, lashes fake, and skin as bronzed as possible.

- Alicia