DONATELLA VERSACE

The Designer Synonymous with The Super-Glamorous World Of Italian Luxury.'

Sensuality and glamour have always been the hallmarks of Versace, the famous Italian high-fashion brand founded by Gianni Versace in 1978, and handed on to his sister Donatella after his death in 1997. Since then Donatella Versace has been Creative Director of the house and Vice President of the board, and has evolved the Versace look into one of the most distinctive of the twenty-first century.

Donatella Versace was born in Reggio Calabria in southern Italy where she grew up with her two elder brothers. While completing her degree in languages at the University of Florence, she started to assist her brother Gianni in his work by supervising the advertising campaigns shot by great photographers like Richard Avedon and Bruce Weber that contributed so greatly to the unique visual style of Versace. She started with the design of accessories and went on to create a children's line 'Versace Young' in 1993. In 1994, she became Head Designer for Versus, a brand aimed at younger fashion enthusiasts.

Since taking over at the design helm of the house, Donatella has won critical acclaim and numerous awards, and has brought her own distinctive style to the famous Medusa label. She has also presided over its expansion into areas beyond fashion.

Today Donatella is 20% owner of Gianni Versace SpA and holds the dual position of Creative Director and Vice President of the board.

She has two children, Allegra and Daniel Beck. Allegra is owner of 50% of Gianni Versace SpA.

CHRISTOPHER KANE

Facts:
Born
July 26, 1982
Newarthill,North Lanarkshire
Nationality
Scottish
Education
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design (6yrs)
Awards
Designer of the Year 2009 – Elle Style Awards, voted by public and editors.
New British Designer of the year 2007 by British Fashion Council
Scottish New Designer of the year 2006 by Scottish Fashion Council
Harrods Design Award – Graduate Show. February 2006

Christopher Kane is a graduate of Central St Martins, he studied there for 6 years, first doing Fine Art (1yr), BA Womenswear (3yrs) and then to do the MA Womenswear (2yrs)
On graduating, Christopher Kane was invited to present his collection to Anna Wintour, which led to him accompanying her to the Versace Autumn / Winter 2006 – 2007 in Milan to meet Donatella Versace which led to consultancy role.

In September 2006, Kane was awarded the New Generation sponsorship from the British Fashion Council and held his first defile as part of the London Fashion Week schedule. A further accolade followed in November 2007 with Kane receiving the New Designer of The Year award at the British Fashion Awards.

Within only six seasons, Kane, working in tandem with his sister Tammy (collaborator and business partner) has established an internationally critically acclaimed label that is bought by some of the most respected retailers in the world such as Harvey Nichols, Browns, Barneys, Dover Street Market, Maria Louisa, 10 Corso Como, Net-a-Porter, Villa Moda and Maxfields.

Christopher Kane’s continues to be a central fixture of the London Fashion Week schedule and he personifies the creativity that makes London a global fashion capital.

Launched in 1989, Versus is the true rock and roll soul of Versace.

Created for those who want to evolve their own individual style, Gianni Versace introduced Versus in 1989 describing it as, “Versus was born with an innate creative approach, with a strong focus on innovation, flair and the unconventional. An artistic force that takes present fashion forward, anticipating new trends and embracing challenge.”

The following Versus collections of fashion, accessories, eyewear, watches and fragrances proved to be an enormous success with a strong public following who were tuned into its distinctive ‘rock-chic’ style.

Donatella Versace has been the creative director of Versus since the line’s first Milan show in 1990. From 1995 to 2003, Versus was shown in New York during New York fashion week, as it was closest city to the brand’s rock’n roll DNA and host the most important celebrities from the global music scene who were devoted to line’s avant-garde style.

In 2004, during a period of reorganisation at Gianni Versace SpA, Versus concentrated on the production of a limited range of accessories.

In 2009, Donatella Versace began a stylistic collaboration with young English designer Christopher Kane, marking the re-launch of the brand in February 2009 with a special collection of accessories, distributed through selected multibrand stores.