When Donatella Versace took over the house of Versace in the aftermath of her brother Gianni’s murder, most observers privately assumed that her reign would be no more than a postscript. The bottle-blond younger sister, with no formal training and a drug addiction that was the fashion industry’s worst kept secret, was seen as a sentimental appointment by a shell-shocked family.
She proved everyone wrong. Versace is now defined as much by Donatella as by Gianni.
— Read more in Donatella Versace defied expectations to become a fashion icon of her own at The Guardian, or see Donatella Versace steps down as chief creative officer after 28 years at CNN.
