Happy Birthday, Donatella Versace! We celebrate the designer’s career in 10 fashion shows

When, in July 1997, the Maison Versace found itself facing the loss of its founder, Gianni Versace , it was his sister Donatella who picked up the pieces and started again, little by little, taking over the creative direction of the brand , while her brother Santo held the role of CEO until 2004. From the beginning of the millennium to today, the designer has dedicated her work to making women feel "sensual, powerful and free" through fashion, as she declared in cover interview given to Vogue Italia in 2022 . And Donatella Versace has always embodied all these characteristics, and she brings them to the catwalk in a riot of music, clothing and pop culture. To celebrate her sixty-ninth birthday, let's retrace the designer's career together, including collaborations with the most famous musicians and moments which, thanks to her ideas, have left their mark in history.

Versace Spring/Summer 2018

The spring summer 2018 collection is dedicated to Gianni Versace, who gave life to the brand and the concept of the top model. To celebrate her brother, Donatella Versace has in fact chosen to have Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi walk this special catwalk Campbell , Cindy Crawford and Helena Christensen, who, at the end of the show, wore metal mesh dresses inspired by Gianni's work and re-imagined for the occasion by Donatella.

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Versace pre-fall 2023

Donatella Versace's relationship with musicians has undoubtedly marked the history of the Maison. Among the latest collaborations, it is impossible not to mention the one with Dua Lipa, transformed into the pre-fall 2023 collection, La Vacanza , staged in Cannes in May 2023 and aimed at celebrating that all-Italian glamor of which the creative director is a symbol.

Versace Spring/Summer 2000

There is a moment in Donatella Versace's career that marked not only the history of fashion, but that of all of us. We are talking about the spring summer 2000 fashion show, when the very famous Jungle Dress worn by Jennifer Lopez on the occasion of the first Grammy's of 2000 was on stage. The pop star's red carpet in Versace was the first viral phenomenon on the web, and brought to the birth of the image search engine Google Images. Given its relevance, a Wikipedia page has even been dedicated to this look.

Versace Spring/Summer 2020

A new version of the Jungle Dress was revived by Donatella Versace for the spring summer 2020 collection. The dress was obviously worn by the "godmother" Jennifer Lopez, who did not miss the opportunity to close the show.

Versace by Fendi Pre-fall 2022

In the immediate post-Covid period, the fashion industry began to ask itself whether, in this sector, there was still room for a supportive, rather than competitive, modus operandi, which is why various collaborations between luxury brands were born. Among these, the unforgettable collection created by Versace together with Fendi, imagined by Donatella Versace and Kim Jones and characterized by some of the typical motifs of both Maisons, from Fendi's double F to Versace's Medusa.

Versace Spring/Summer 2023

For spring summer 2023, the Versace catwalk took on a look that was both goth and sexy, between lace veils and garters, slip dresses and (numerous) leather looks, and even transparencies and hints of acidity in the colours. Closing the show was Paris Hilton, obviously in total pink.

Versace spring summer 2021

Brighter shades and marine illustrations, however, characterized the spring summer 2021 collection, Versacepolis . Given the absence of an audience, Donatella Versace focused - as well as on clothing and accessories - on a spectacular set. In fact, models seemed to be parading in an ancient city ( polis , precisely) at the bottom of the sea, among equally ancient Greek ruins. Thanks to the wet-look hairstyle , the mermaid dresses and the marine fauna that embellished them, from that moment on we started talking about Mermaid-core.

Versace autumn winter 2021

Versace's autumn-winter 2021 show marked the debut of a new monogram for the Maison, named La Greca , defined as "a modern three-dimensional labyrinth". Dresses, bags, socks and more were covered in the new print for the occasion. And again, this same collection also saw the great return (in terms of popularity) of platform heels, with the Aevitas pumps which have become real it-shoes.

Versace spring summer 2024

Versace's spring summer 2024 was characterized by a different style from what the Maison had accustomed us to, thanks to a much more bon ton aesthetic, both for her and for him, between pastel colors and references to Priscilla Presley in the 1990s 60, with her A-line dresses and bows. Closing the show was the brand's historic friend Claudia Schiffer.

Versace Spring/Summer 2013

A series of coachella-looks with a boho soul gave shape to Versace's spring-summer 2013 collection, described as "tailoring with a touch of lingerie" by the creative director herself. All at a time when the festival held annually in Indio, California, was at the height of its popularity. And today, we are waiting to discover how Donatella Versace will continue to translate contemporaneity into fashion.