Donatella Versace - Designer, Creative Director of Versace

[mikeijames]

whoever or whatever finds itself responsible for versace over the past year or two should get handed a medal! it has just gone from strength to strength to strength. what's next? a costume institute gig?

 

[Pradable]

Italian fashion house Versace will rejoin the exclusive club of haute couture houses after an eight-year hiatus, showing a spring-summer collection in Paris in January, organisers said on Tuesday.
“The Versace fashion house will be listed in the January 2012 schedule of Haute Couture collections,” the French couture federation, which organises the three days of shows from January 23 to 26, said in a statement.
Haute couture exists only in Paris, where it is a legally protected appellation subject to strict criteria such as the amount of work carried out by hand, the limited number of pieces and the size of a house’s workforce.
Versace sent out its last couture collection under the label “Atelier Versace” in January 2004.
Only a handful of major French houses show under the haute couture label — Chanel, Dior, Gaultier and Givenchy — joined by a number of smaller houses, as well as Italians Valentino and Armani, or the Lebanese designers Elie Saab and Rabih Kayrouz.

LuukMagazine

 

[VersaceLuva586]

Cannot wait!!!

Versace is seriously on a roll!!

 

[Fatalefashion]

This is Strange, but I'm happy. Donatellacouture!

 

[Squizree]

NOW I can say that Atelier Versace is back. I'm about to cry

It's a smart move really, the company is milking its current high-roll.

 

[Pradable]

>> Versace, which hasn't appeared on the official couture calendar since January 2004, is making a return eight years later. The Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture has announced that this upcoming January, the house will show on the first day of couture week, Jan. 23, in the first time slot. Versace never discontinued its Atelier Versace couture line in the interim, opting instead to produce still-life presentations for select editors from 2004 until this upcoming season. A Versace spokeperson had no comment. [WWD]

fashionologie

Everyday I'm more, more and more excited...

 

[j´adore dior]

Yas, the check from H&M cleared

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

And they are investing it well

 

[vogue28]

A collaboration coming with Dua Lipa, set to be revealed in Cannes on May 23:

 

[thiago:)]

That sounds truly awful!

 

[DK92]

TRAGIC... Literally NOBODY asked for this, in fact Versace sales dropped in the year we had Dua's campaign!

 

[Benn98]

Lol always comical when brands overestimate pop stars, and worse still, thinking their followers have the spending potential to buy Versace.

Imagine if Donatella is actually resurrecting Versus for Dua.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

Can she hurry up and retire already?

 

[LadyJunon]

Can she hurry up and retire already?

And give her job to Tisci while she's at it. I want an Atelier Versace revival, but not under her.

 

[reese06]

Capri Stock Sinks After Versace Parent's Poor Earnings​

Key Takeaways​

• Versace's parent company, Capri Holdings, reported fiscal-second-quarter results that missed analysts' expectations.
• CEO John Idol pinned declining revenue on “softening demand globally for fashion luxury goods.”
• The company's stock has lost about half its value since the FTC blocked a planned merger with rival Tapestry last month.

Capri Holdings (CPRI) saw its shares tumble Friday after reporting fiscal second-quarter results after yesterday's closing bell that fell short of Wall Street's expectations.


The owner of fashion brands Versace, Jimmy Choo, and Michael Kors saw revenue decline 16% year-over-year to $1.08 billion, below the analyst consensus from Visible Alpha.1 Net income was $24 million, or 20 cents per share, down from $90 million or 77 cents per share a year ago, well short of expectations.


John Idol, Capri's chief executive officer (CEO), attributed the decline to “softening demand globally for fashion luxury goods.”


Michael Kors revenue declined 16% to $738 million, while Versace sales dropped 28% to $201 million. Jimmy Choo saw revenue increase 6% to $140 million.

The latest collections will not help. I think it's time for Donatella to go but I don't put all of the blame on her alone. I also don't think Capri was the right choice for Versace.

 

[Lola701]

The latest collections will not help. I think it's time for Donatella to go but I don't put all of the blame on her alone. I also don't think Capri was the right choice for Versace.

I loved the last collection but it’s going to be difficult indeed unless if they are pushing their marketing in a heavy heavy way: big celebrity campaign, saturation in redcarpets. Versace is the brand who can do it the best! Even more considering that even celebrities in contracts can wear Versace!

I would say that Donatella is still somehow a bit to blame for it. She wanted to sell to the highest bidder! Versace was overvalued! She did not think long term at all.

I’m still shocked to discover that Versace Jeans Couture still exists and I wonder if Capri is not going to make poor decisions in order to push sales.

However I can see the Qataris acquiring Versace.
Because Donatella as an iconic figure is still an asset. I don’t think the house is in a healthy position to think about a succession.

 

[LadyJunon]

There's a possibility that as Versace is up for sale, Donatella will step down from her role after her contract expires in February:

What Are Donatella Versace’s Plans for 2025?
As the Versace company is said to be up for sale, Milan-based sources say Donatella Versace's contract is due to expire in February.

By Luisa Zargani
December 26, 2024, 1:42am

DONATELLA’S NEXT STEP?: Could another major designer change shake up the luxury fashion industry in 2025?

As reported, Capri Holdings is said to be working with Barclays to sell Versace and Jimmy Choo as it focuses on the Michael Kors turnaround, stirring yet more speculation in and around Milan. Sources say the contract of Donatella Versace, chief creative officer of the Italian brand, is up in February. The speculation surrounds whether she — or Capri — will renew it.

Asked for a response, the Versace company said it does not comment on rumors.

Donatella Versace reached a $2.1 billion deal to sell her family’s company to the-then Michael Kors Holdings in 2018, which subsequently changed its name to Capri Holdings. She has been fundamental in spearheading the brand ever since the murder of her brother Gianni in 1997. In addition to her work as a designer, Versace has acquired A-list popularity on social media, and is widely recognized for her philanthropic work, her support of the marginalized and her initiatives to sustain the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. She has also contributed to fuel the work of young designers such as Christopher Kane, who designed Versus with her for years.

Capri is widely seen as considering its options for both Versace and Jimmy Choo — and perhaps even for Michael Kors – since the company’s $8.5 billion buyout by Tapestry Inc. was dropped following an antitrust challenge from the U.S. government.

Versace’s first-half revenues fell 22.1 percent to $420 million, but Capri chairman and chief executive officer John Idol recently said the brand could bounce back by “engaging and energizing both new and loyal consumers, broadening our product offering, improving store productivity and returning our wholesale business to growth.”

“We believe we removed too many unique Versace statement items, which resulted in a less exciting brand and product identity,” the CEO said. “We also significantly reduced our offering of products for aspirational consumers as we tried to elevate the brand.”

But sources said Idol and Donatella Versace have often clashed over the strategy for the brand, further fueling the speculation over the designer’s contract renewal.

WWD

 

[Lola701]

Shocking for the article to come out that way but I think for the best interest of the house, Donatella should be in charge. She should maybe approach a buyer (Mayhoola), have Riccardo a couple of seasons and then leave the position.
I think her creative leadership, beyond her iconic status, needs to be questioned.

The irony is that they are talking about strategies to elevate the brand while at the same time having that insane license VJC. Clearly they weren’t the most equipped for Versace. Too bad Donatella was greedy and not more strategic.

 

[oioioi]

Shocking for the article to come out that way but I think for the best interest of the house, Donatella should be in charge. She should maybe approach a buyer (Mayhoola), have Riccardo a couple of seasons and then leave the position.
I think her creative leadership, beyond her iconic status, needs to be questioned.

The irony is that they are talking about strategies to elevate the brand while at the same time having that insane license VJC. Clearly they weren’t the most equipped for Versace. Too bad Donatella was greedy and not more strategic.

Agree with your observations!
I'm surprised the CEO said they cut out their aspirational customers whilst trying to elevate the brand, I did not notice any elevation.. if anything the brand in the last 3/4 years has lost most of what fashion credibility it still had, the products have further cheapened - which is quite dangerous when some of its signatures, prints and 'DNA' can teeter on the edge of that already if not done well.
Unfortunately no Riccardo, possibly that ship has sailed. He was supposed to go there post-Givenchy, with a type of 'co-collaboration' between them (hence putting Donatella in that Givenchy campaign), except it was called off last minute when Donatella found out he had wanted to mostly run it himself, and she had expected she would still have final say on everything. Wasn't clear if the company went behind her back or he was very ambitious on his own. A shame because he would've been very good there, and think could've had a genuine connection and elevated back into a fashion conversation, more naturally than what happend at Burberry.
Donatella is leaving early 2025, her replacement has already signed and will be announced soon.

 

[Lola701]

Agree with your observations!
I'm surprised the CEO said they cut out their aspirational customers whilst trying to elevate the brand, I did not notice any elevation.. if anything the brand in the last 3/4 years has lost most of what fashion credibility it still had, the products have further cheapened - which is quite dangerous when some of its signatures, prints and 'DNA' can teeter on the edge of that already if not done well.
Unfortunately no Riccardo, possibly that ship has sailed. He was supposed to go there post-Givenchy, with a type of 'co-collaboration' between them (hence putting Donatella in that Givenchy campaign), except it was called off last minute when Donatella found out he had wanted to mostly run it himself, and she had expected she would still have final say on everything. Wasn't clear if the company went behind her back or he was very ambitious on his own. A shame because he would've been very good there, and think could've had a genuine connection and elevated back into a fashion conversation, more naturally than what happend at Burberry.
Donatella is leaving early 2025, her replacement has already signed and will be announced soon.

They are replacing her while trying to sell the brand? She is an asset (still).
What a weird decision.

Donatella is a cultural icon so I’m not sure getting rid of her in a aggressive manner would work. It’s what happened with Valentino.

 

[oioioi]

They are replacing her while trying to sell the brand? She is an asset (still).
What a weird decision.

Donatella is a cultural icon so I’m not sure getting rid of her in a aggressive manner would work. It’s what happened with Valentino.

I agree on her being an asset still.
Most in Milan know there's been a lot of tension and disagreements in the last months between Donatella, her right-hands and the management, relating to brand direction, quality etc. They are haemorrhaging money at the moment.
No idea inner workings other than those disagreements, maybe she knows who might be the next buyer, and/or the possible interested buyers do not inspire her to continue? Just a guess.