Dear Shaded Viewers,
So, Donatella Versace is changing her life, her role at the house and fashion history is being written as we watch.
Back in the early days of the establishment of the House of Versace, which launched in 1978, Donatella Versace was close to her brother and his work. The story was that she worked alongside or indeed co-created Versus, a diffusion line launched in 1989, again, according to stories, that had been created by Gianni for Donatella as younger than the mainline collection, also slightly lower in price. Istante was another sub brand of the house launched in 1985/86 they also did some work on together. Back in the day, the Versus catwalk show was always early in the schedule of Milan, and at the end a rather shy Donatella would take a bow with her brother. I remember because I was at those shows, he often really had pushed her to receive applause.
It seems clear in retrospect that, although her mother especially did not want her daughter to work in fashion, that brother and sister shared a huge love and interest in fashion and always had a closely related aesthetic. It is also interesting thinking about the family relationships to wonder if the eldest child Tina born 1940 had not died aged twelve, three years before Donatella’s birth in 1955, what might have happened in family dynamics. The eldest brother Santo was born in 1944 and Gianni in 1946, the age gap making him a role model for his nearly a decade younger sister. Obviously when Santo became a business partner it was ideal, then it would become a family business, and with its origins in clothes and fashion clearly following on from their mother being a seamstress/dressmaker. When Gianni Versace SpA was founded way back in 1977, with Santo Versace as CEO he would remain in that role until 2004. Having studied economics he oversaw many areas, communication, organisation, productivity, and quality, also sales, distribution, production, and finance, becoming one of both the Italian and global fashion businesses most respected businesspeople.
All this background is so important to set up the dramatic and hugely historic impact of the just announced news of Donatella stepping down from being Chief Creative Officer. Her move from such a huge role at the house of Versace to becoming Brand Ambassador is possibly unexpected but must have been discussed and planned for some time, since her replacement has also been announced, Dario Vitale from Miu Miu.
The hugely demanding role Donatella had was possibly one she never envisioned or wanted, a role thrust upon her in a world turned dark and tragic by murder. A murder it should be pointed out, that but for the ineptitude of the American police and FBI had no business to occur. Read Vanity Fair super journalist Maureen Orr to discover so much about the circumstances that led to the death of Gianni Versace in “Vulgar Favors” published 2000.
Donatella had little choice but to take up the reins of the business, step into the spotlight and get on with the job. It is now, in this July, nearly twenty-eight years since the awful events of that day of his murder and the very short span of time that followed before the next season of Milan shows. I had been at couture in Paris and seen the last collection of Atelier Versace that Gianni would ever design in July. In the September as the four buff cities started after London came Italy and Milan. I will never forget one moment from that season. Versus in the autumn of that year shows; the catwalk collection in Milan, as usual early in the schedule, and at the end, the sight of Donatella Versace only weeks after her brother’s death, standing at the entrance to the catwalk as the show finished and the entire room standing and applauding. Emotional is definitely an understatement, she had stepped into the role without hesitation but with huge bravery and strength. I remember during the following days talking to the P.R. team, who at that point I knew well, about the stress and the strain, about how literally the role had been hers with little thought of her mourning, her state of loss or the effort of assuming her late brother’s creative burden.
Although the house, its style and its signatures were all well established, just marking time or copying would not enable the house and the name to survive. Across season after season and from handbags to gowns, the team under Donatella’s direction have developed, changed, reinvented, and twisted the work of the founder. Sometimes in both hommage and in new ways, refreshing the house and moving it forward, and this is a task we know is a knife edge as designers taking over at huge names have frequently discovered. Slapping a label, or endlessly repeating best sellers might work short term, and then what. After over a quarter of a century in her role, Donatella has endlessly sought to bring energy and the heart of what made Gianni Versace great to life again and again, it is a testimony to her passion and commitment that she succeeded.
Across the years my admiration for her has never wavered, her survival instinct, her attitudes and fortitude, her lack of façade in for example Loic Prigent “Le Jour Avant”, this is a film, released in 2010, which really shows her sense of humour and her deep involvement and engagement with the house her brother founded. Many people like Daniel Marks in London, who have worked for her closely across many seasons, have a huge loyalty and respect for her after decades and her loyalty to them is returned. Her presence from international galas to AIDS fund raising events, her public life is well documented and many, especially in these days of social media, are critical of her work, her style, her life. They have little recollection of the events that took her from being Gianni Versace’s younger sister to head of a global fashion house, or the events that forced that journey on her. Happy days Donatella, happy less responsibility, happy time to relax and let someone else take the criticism or the blame if people criticise the collection, the choice of music, the venue, or simply don’t like the Medusa head signature. Thank you for you devotion and commitment to maintaining the house your brother founded all those years ago, shouldering the burden and not shirking the task. “Brava, Ben fatto!”
Later,
Tony Glenville
