Donatella Versace

Donatella Versace is an Italian fashion designer and businesswoman who built her career at the Versace label founded by her brother Gianni. Born in Reggio di Calabria, she moved to Milan in 1976 to join Gianni, and when the brand was established in 1978 she took the role of vice president, working on styling, its image, and accessories, shoes and handbags. She was given the Versus diffusion line in 1989 and became creative director in 1997. In 1998 she presented her debut couture show for the Versace Atelier in Paris. She is widely credited, alongside Gianni, for the supermodel phenomenon of the 1990s, and she has designed advertising campaigns featuring Madonna, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, and she designed the green dress Jennifer Lopez wore to the 2000 Grammy Awards. In 2025 she announced she would leave the brand after almost 28 years as chief executive.