A well-loved figure in the fashion industry, the 69-year-old leaves behind a lasting legacy despite personal battles.
Hot off the heels of a largely successful Paris Fashion Week was a major fashion shocker: Donatella Versace stepping down as the creative director of the label founded by her late brother Gianni Versace after a 27-year tenure.
The news comes amid a merry-go-round in the upper echelons of luxury fashion houses. The POST has religiously tracked these rejigs, the most recent of which include Sabato de Sarno’s rather abrupt exit from Gucci, Kim Jones bidding Dior adieu, and Maison Margiela welcoming Glenn Martens.
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It also further fanned rumors that rival Prada is closing in on a deal to buy Versace from U.S. owner Capri Holdings at a princess of nearly US$1.6 billion, according to Reuters. Some experts have also mentioned the brand’s struggles, including its failure to expand into the beauty industry and more affordable luxuries, causing it to be left behind financially by its rivals. Imran Amed, CEO of The Business of Fashion, in an interview with BBC World, said that Versace makes about US$1 billion a year, while rivals such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci make US$20 billion and US$8 billion, respectively.
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What’s next for the fashion icon and the brand?
Donatella won’t be leaving Versace entirely, however, as she takes on the new role of chief brand ambassador, Capri announced on Thursday, March 13.
The 69-year-old welcomed her successor, former Miu Miu design director Dario Vitale, saying in an Instagram post that “championing the next generation of designers has always been important to me” and that she is “thrilled” Dario would be joining Versace. She also mentioned it’s “the greatest honor” to carry on the legacy of her brother Gianni, ending the caption by saying she will remain “Versace’s most passionate supporter” and that the name is in her DNA and always in her heart.
Vitale, 41, meanwhile, called the job at Versace a “privilege” and thanked Donatella for “her trust in me.”
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A shining legacy
Donatella had been Versace’s driving force since her brother Gianni was gunned down in Miami in 1997. Gianni was already a huge name in the fashion industry at the time, leading many to doubt whether the younger Versace could take on the reins of the fashion house. In fact, her appointment was seen “a sentimental appointment by a shell-shocked family,” per The Guardian’s fashion editor Jess Cartner-Motley.
The Calabrian-born designer, however, proved naysayers wrong. Despite having no formal fashion training, she grew into a well-loved figure within the company and the industry, per The New York Times. And she has done it amid numerous personal battles, from grief after losing a beloved brother to a tragic crime to an 18-year-long drug addiction and a shocking divorce.
One of the highlights of her tenure at Versace was dressing Jennifer Lopez at the 2000 Grammy Awards. The pop star’s green ‘jungle dress’ broke the internet—which was a mammoth feat pre-social media—and generated so much interest that it inspired Google to create its image search function. In 2019, JLo strutted down the runway in an updated and even skimpier version of the iconic dress at Versace’s S/S 2020 show.
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Through almost three decades as the creative head of Versace, Donatella was popular among celebrities and supermodels. She is also quite internet savvy, with 12.2 million followers on Instagram, the most among her peers. Being among the most recognizable designers in the world, Donatella has also eased her way into popular culture with on screen portrayals by A-listers such as Lady Gaga, Penélope Cruz, and Maya Rudolph.
Last year, in recognition of her contribution to Italian fashion, Donatella was bestowed a long overdue Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, one of the highest honors in Italy.
It’s now up to Dario Vitale to continue Donatella Versace’s legacy. The Italian label has reason to be optimistic and seems to have picked the perfect successor, with Dario being one of fashion’s latest success stories, helping Miu Miu grow its revenue by an astonishing 97.3 percent in 2024.
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