Donatella Versace was born May 2, 1955, in Italy. In her mid-twenties, she followed her older brother Gianni to Florence, Italy, where the first line of Versace clothing began. Working with her brother, Donatella immersed herself in the fashion world. By the 1980s, the Versace inner line known as Versus was given to Donatella by Gianni.

Before long, Donatella’s public relations skills gained worldwide publicity for the entire Versace label, including the successful Finanziaria Versace owned by Santo Versace, another Versace sibling. Donatella made use of high-profile celebrities such as Madonna and Demi Moore to advertise the Versace lines and in no time, Versace became one of the most famous high-end fashion labels in Europe and the United States.

Donatella married an American model named Paul Beck and together they had two children. Donatella’s daughter, Allegra Versace, now owns the majority stock in the Versace Group as it was willed to her after the murder of Gianni Versace in 1997. Though Allegra is heiress to the entire Versace fortune, Donatella regularly oversees company operations in her brother’s absence. The Versace line was on hiatus for a year after Gianni’s death, but Donatella took the helm and has kept Versace a leading label.

Donatella’s style is glamorous but sexy, and she proclaims her inspiration comes from the feminine side of rock ‘n’ roll. She is not afraid to be bold with curves, slits, and plunging necklines and the Versace label frequently bears bold prints and high-impact colors.

Aside from continuing the Versace line of clothing, Donatella is also behind the Palazzo Versace resort hotels, a luxury resort chain boasting lavish rooms with one in operation in Australia. The second of the seven proposed resorts is currently under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Donatella Versace has several homes throughout the world and does not reside permanently in any of them. Her fashion shows and celebratory parties boast the attendance of celebrities like Catherine Zeta Jones, Kate Moss, and even Prince Charles.

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