Donatella Versace’s brilliant career is far from over

Donatella Versace has long been a household name. Her blond mane, her distinctive facial features, and her exquisitely attired frame have been ruling over the Versace Empire and the fashion world alike for almost two decades already. But while one might think that because of her position as a powerful businesswomen, the CEO’s life has constantly been draped in success and joy, they would be plain wrong. Donatella, as the fashion behemoth that she currently is, has, in fact, taken years in the making.

Donatella shared a special connection with her brother Gianni

Born in 1955, Donatella Versace was the third of her dressmaking mother’s three children. Her brother Gianni, the founder of the family’s renowned fashion empire, was only 8 at the time, while Santo, the eldest of the Versace kids, was 10. Donatella remembers a childhood highlighted by joyful happenings like her mother allowing her to play in the cloth basket adorning the center of the latter’s improvised atelier. Both literally and figuratively, it can be said that as a toddler, the to-be CEO was already bathing in fashion. Another of Donatella’s prized memories would be the time spent with her brother Gianni. Santo was the quiet one of the bunch, but Gianni was quite a flamboyant individual. “I was his doll and his best friend. He dressed me up in cool clothes, took me out to discos and clubs from when I was 11. I loved it. It was the best time of my life,” said Donatella

Gianni and his sister were shortly separated when Donatella left her hometown of Reggio Calabria to study in Florence. However, she quickly returned to her brother’s side and accompanied him throughout the glory days of the Versace brand. From supermodels singing George Michael’s “Freedom” on the podium to Madonna being shot by Steven Meisel and Mario Testino, Donatella has witnessed the best of her empire’s golden age.

Donatella and Versace went through tribulations before shining bright

In July of 1997, Gianni Versace was brutally murdered in his Miami Beach mansion. Shot to death, he was the 5th and final victim of serial killer Andrew Cunanan. His sister Donatella was left devastated by the tragic occurring, but perhaps the biggest burden on her was to assume her brother’s position at Versace amidst an era of grief for both herself and the entire fashion industry.

“When my brother was murdered, I had the eyes of the whole world on me and 99% of them thought I wasn’t going to make it. And maybe l thought the same, at first. My brother was the king, and my whole world had crashed around me,” recalled Donatella. “For the first five years, I was lost. I made a lot of mistakes.”

However, the Versace CEO worked on herself and even achieved to vanquish the 18 years long cocaine addiction that had become her coping mechanism. In 2004, the brand was reborn from its ashes thanks to the direction of Donatella. It now generates a revenue close to one billions Canadian dollars per year. Contrarily to the rumours heard in early January of this year, Versace will not be handed over to some other CEO. Donatella Versace is proud of her current position and intends to fascinate the fashion world for the many years to come.

h/t: The Guardian
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