Donatella Versace reaches 70 years old with his own fashion legacy and far from the shadow of his brother

The morning of July 15, 1997 is a watershed for fashion. That was when Italian Gianni Versace, the founding designer of the homonymous brand, was murdered at the door in Miami, with two shots at close range. The tragedy left not just a personal emptiness for Donatella, Gianni’s sister, who until then was her right -handed backstage. The murder threw her at the center of an injured empire.

Donatella took the lead of the family business-and over the next 30 years, the designer, who turns 70 on Friday (2), turned her into a global power.

“She not only kept the brand DNA but also managed to update it with her own view of femininity,” says Andreia Meneguete, Fashion Professor at ESPM. According to the researcher, Donatella incorporated into the opulent aesthetics of the brand the fluidity of the sensuality of the female body. And not in the service of the male look, but the affirmation of the woman’s desire for power.

Even before taking command, Donatella already played a key role within the company. It was she who suggested the emblematic parade of 1991 in which supermodels like Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford paraded to the sound of George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90”, in reference to the musician starring. He also led Versus, the brand’s youth line, and took care of the promotional campaigns.

“She has always been the strategic support of Gianni, knew every gear of the company,” says Valeska Nakad, coordinator of the Fashion course at the University Center Belas Arts. “This made his transition to command, although tragic, was not improvised.”

Gradually, Donatella was printing her mark. In the year 2000, the Green Chifon Dress worn by Jennifer Lopez on Grammy, the iconic “Jungle Dress”, was so sought on the internet that it led to the creation of Google Images. Two decades later, Donatella took Lopez to the catwalk with a revamped version of the same dress. They were applauded standing.

Another milestone was the 2018 Spring-Summer parade, in honor of Gianni, 20 years after his death. Donatella revisited the brand’s archives and ended the show with the 1990s supermodels, wearing rescued prints from 1980s and 1990s collections. “She not only honored her brother but also the supermodels he helped create,” says Nakad.

But the designer was not limited to nostalgia. In 2011, it launched a collection with the H&M network, which called “democratization of luxury”. The collaboration attracted the young audience and expanded the brand reach. In 2022, he closed the Milan Fashion Week with Findace, bold collaboration with Fendi that joined models such as Gigi Hadid, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell in a vibrant parade, full of metallic fabrics and baroque prints.

The flirting with celebrities was constant. In addition to Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Madonna, who is a personal friend and family home, also dressed at crucial moments Dua Lipa, Lil Nos X, Bruna Marquezine, Elizabeth Hurley and Elton John – that, in the 2000s, helped Donatella overcome cocaine addiction and stimulated her to seek treatment 18 years after developing her the dependence.

This is due to a relevance based on tradition, history and a strong identity with symbols that cross generations: the golden medusa, the animal print prints, the Italian baroque, the dresses glued to the body.

It was also under its leadership that the brand adopted diversity policies on catwalks, with varying bodies and ethnic groups, and committed to sustainable practices, such as when it abolished the use of animal skin in 2019.

“Donatella has always had a sixth sense for business and was a leader in the fashion world. He always maintained his own identity and never lost his unique DNA,” says journalist Laia Farran Bass, author of the book “Little Book of Versace” (without Brazilian edition).

The designer professionalized the management of the company by assuming it, cutting excessive expenses and preparing the brand for the New Age. In 2018, he sold Versace to the Michael Kors group for over R $ 8.7 billion. Still, he kept the creative command until April 2025, when he announced his departure to occupy the position of brand ambassador.

In April 2025, Prada acquired Versace for $ 8 billion. Who took over the creative direction recently was Dario Vitale – the brand now returns to its roots of Italian luxury.

“He did a fantastic job at Miu Miu and I think he will keep his codes Versace and add more modern and commercial approaches to them,” says Bass. “But we have to wait to see.”

Not bad for those who took the brand in such a delicate moment. “My brother’s death made me a stronger person, but for a long time it was a trauma,” he said in an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian in 2017.

“I had to be strong for the company, but even more for the family. People thought I wasn’t an affectionate person, but I was just trying to keep me whole.”