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Donatella Versace (born May 2, 1955) is an affluent Italian fashion
designer, like her famous brother, Gianni Versace, the founder of the Versace
clothing empire. Her current title is Vice-President of the Versace Group and Chief
Designer of the fashion line. She holds a great amount of Versace stock, totalling
20% of the entire stock market assets of Versace. Her brother, Santo Versace, owns
30%. Donatella's daughter Allegra Versace got 50% of the company stocks after
Gianni Versace died, the two were very close and he testamented his half to
Allegra.
 Early life
and fashion debut
Donatella Versace was born in the Italian city
of Reggio di Calabria, the youngest of three children in her family, her
father being a personal financier to the Italian aristocracy. In the mid
1970s, Donatella followed her 25-year older brother, Giovanni ("Gianni"), to
pursue knitwear design in Florence, Italy. Donatella had planned to work for
her brother as Public Relations, but she was more valuable to Gianni as a
"muse and critic", according to Donatella during an interview with Vogue.
Through her closeness to her brother's enterprises, Donatella plunged into the
fashion world. A decade later, during the 1980s, Gianni launched a perfume
dedicated to her, Blonde, and gave her her own diffusion label, Versus, which
remains a well-known Versace inner line.
The growth of
Donatella and Versace
Donatella is accredited as the first designer to use notable celebrities to
broadcast her clothing into the world on the catwalk and other public mediums such
as advertisements, instead of using unknown models. Another member of the growing
Versace success was Santo Versace S.p.A., Donatella's brother, who is also a
fashion designer and the owner of Finanziaria Versace, an established Versace
branch. Donatella soon proved to be the public relations giant within the Versace
label and spread its name throughout Europe and most of the United States.
Donatella chose to place some of her good friends, Madonna, Christina Aguilera and
Demi Moore, in high esteem in the Versace advertising sector, making them and other
A-List celebrities the persona and image of Versace.
Tragedy in
Miami
On July 15, 1997, outside the re-constructed Versace Mansion, also known as Casa
Casaurina, in Miami, Florida, Gianni Versace was shot dead by Andrew Cunanan, a
suspected serial-killer who committed suicide before apprehension was possible. Her
brother's murder was not only a blow to the South Beach, Miami community but also
to the fashion industry. Donatella and other family patriarchs temporarily moved
the family to a secluded, private resort in the Caribbean. Consequently, the
Spring-Summer 1998 Collection was cancelled as were the indirect operations of the
company. The Official Funeral of Gianni Versace was held at the Roman Catholic
Milan Cathedral in Milan, Italy, where over 2,000 mourners attended a traditional
service, which was originally highly controversial. Notable guests in attendance
were Diana Princess of Wales, Sir Elton John, Naomi Campbell, Giorgio Armani,
Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Sting, Luciano Pavarotti, Carla Fendi, Karl Lagerfeld and
many other famous fashion designers. Elton John and Sting sang a setting of Psalm
23, "The Lord is My Shepherd", broadcast to millions of viewers worldwide.
Promotion and
success
A year and three days after Gianni's death in July 1998,
Donatella Versace mounted her first couture show for the Versace Atelier at
the Hôtel Ritz Paris. She built her runway over the hotel's swimming pool, as
her brother had done every season, though this time using sheer glass. She now
oversees the production of a dozen collections each year, though these days,
Donatella is just as famous for her celebrity entourage and glittering
parties. Regular guests include Sir Elton John, Liz Hurley, Catherine
Zeta-Jones and Kate Moss. Even Prince Charles attends Donatella's parties for
the famous and elite throughout Europe.
Branching into other fields, the company has created the grand, luxurious Palazzo
Versace resort on the Gold Coast of Australia. Another growing symbol of the
Versace style, the world's tallest hotel, the Burj al-Arab in Dubai, United Arab
Emirates (UAE), boasts a broad collection of Versace furniture and beddings in its
expensive and lavish rooms.
Plans for the Palazzo Versace Dubai were announced in May of 2005. Gianni Versace
SpA, Sunland Group Ltd. and Emirates International Holdings have announced the
Palazzo Versace resort to be constructed in the Arabian Bays on the Dubai Creek in
Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The second Palazzo Versace will boast a number of
suites and luxury villas, including an exclusive spa. Official plans are to begin
construction in 2006 and have the hotel completed sometime in the year 2008. The
interior of the hotel will be furnished with various Versace collections. As
Creative Director, Donatella will carry out final plans and design strategies for
the hotel and resort compound. This will be the second Pallazo Versace hotel ever
to be built, and the second hotel in Dubai to boast a wide range of Versace
collections.
In October of 2002, Gianni and Donatella's most famously designed Versace clothing
were displayed in a special exhibit of the historical Victoria and Albert Museum of
London to be honored for extraordinary fashion success and symbolism worldwide.
Family and
residence
Donatella and her former husband, American model Paul
Beck, have two children, daughter Allegra (born June 30, 1986) and son Daniel
(born circa 1989).
Donatella's deceased brother, Gianni Versace, had a large collection of homes
worldwide that have since been sold, most notably his Manhattan, New York
double-wide townhome, estimated to be valued at over $21,000,000 USD. Donatella
Versace does not permanently live in one residence, but consistently travels from
one to the other.
Heiress to
the throne
It was in 1997, while watching television, that Allegra
Versace saw the familiar face of her uncle, Gianni, on the news stations. He
had been shot. Not only was Gianni an icon of the fashion industry, he was the
highest figure in the Versace Group, leaving no one to rule the vast network
of clothing lines and branches of his company. His Last Will and Testament
stated Allegra Versace was to receive majority inheritance and titles. After
Donatella, Allegra Versace is the heiress to the remainder of the extensive
Versace fortune, including vast real estate holdings worldwide.
Allegra Versace, upon her eighteenth birthday, received the primary inheritance
from her beloved uncle, Gianni, the staggering sum of $700 million.
"Only you understand how I express what I feel" --Gianni to Allegra
She was not only left an enormous wealth and heritage from her uncle, Allegra was
given Gianni's villa on Lake Como, Italy and a large townhome in one of Manhattan's
most affluent neighborhoods. To this day she stands to inherit the company, as her
brother, Daniel, inherited Gianni's vast rare artwork collection. While the Versace
Group is not as financially robust as it was in its earlier and peak stages, the
Versace Group has publicly made clear that Donatella and Allegra Versace will
hopefully bring a new face and attraction to the Versace label.
Source : Some of the information on
this page came from a Wikipedia article and is licensed under the GNU
Documentation License. ©2008 www.geneticmatrix.com.
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Donatella
Versace - Projector - Biography
