The End of An Era: Looking Back on Legacies
Written by Safa Razvi
Creative Directors are more than just designers—they’re visionaries who shape a brand's identity, cultivate the finest looks and form cultures across international borders. Their artistic expression tells a story for consumers to form bonds with and become fond of. For any brand, the loss of a creative director changes the trajectory of the company and shifts the internal culture. Looking back at their careers, it becomes obvious why their loss is prodigious
Donatella Versace: Power Woman
Donatella Versace is the face of the Italian based luxury companyVersace—a brand that has touched millions of fashion connoisseurs around the globe. In March of 2025, she announced her departure as the brand's creative director. What does this mean for Versace’s future? Donatella Versace IS Versace. After stepping up as the brand’s leader e following her brother Gianni’s tragic death in 1997, she transformed the company into its elite status today.
She preserved the House's bold, glamorous and powerhouse vibe while expanding its global reach; making it more synonymous with powerful women. Creative leadership deeply impacts the way a brand is marketed to the world and Donatella’s vision has crafted a beautiful legacy that will live on forever.
As she steps down, the brand will no longer have access to her originality, her bold looks or carefully crafted ideas. Going forward, Dario Vitale will take over the reins at Versace. With previous experience at Miu Miu, a subsidiary of Prada, his work will add a new element to the looks of the brand. Taking a look back at some of Donatella’s most iconic and show stopping designs:
Gigi Hadid Met Gala 2018
Hadid embodied the essence of a butterfly in a beautiful custom gown made by Donatella. This is one of the most legendary pieces designed by Donatella, encapsulating the look of stained glass. This captured the allure of the model and the theme of “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” through Donatella’s vision.
Versace Men’s Show 2022 Spring/Summer
“When I work, I think of Generation Z and the freedom they have in not being afraid to mix contrasting pieces together. Pop-art meets classicism—contrast like this is everything to me, it makes you think and feel.” - Donatella Versace
Throughout her career, Donatella has always emphasized the importance of the individual shining through the clothing. She always wanted personality, self-expression and artistry to be seen.
De Beers and Versace Diamonds Are Forever fashion show
Supermodels Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss made a dazzling appearance at the fashion show, held at London’s historic Syon House on June 9, 1999. They captured Donatella’s hopeful aesthetic of confidence and passion, giving modern luxury a new name. This iconic show highlighted her incredible influence in defining the landscape of ‘90s fashion. Shortly after she took over for her brother as creative director, this was a stepping-stone moment in her career.
Versace 2022 Fall/Winter Collection
This line featured an explosion of color, blending classic elegance with modern innovation. Each look had a corset-inspired aspect to it paired with either latex leggings, boxy blazers and glossy puffer jackets. Donatella reworked traditional pieces to showcase the brand's innovative and bold approach to luxury fashion.
Versace’s Take on the Gilded Age
Donatella mixed together lavishness and glamour for this specific look. American rapper and songwriter, Cardi B wore a custom gown paying tribute to the luxurious fashion of the 19th century with meticulous gold detailing, a dramatic shape and a rich shade of gold. The dress intertwined historical influences with high-fashion allure, reflecting Versace as a brand.
THE Green Dress
The iconic green Versace dress that Jennifer Lopez wore to the 2000 Grammy Awards became an iconic fashion moment, featuring a plunging neckline and exciting tropical print. Designed by Donatella Versace, the dress reflected her vision for the brand with the fearlessness of the look. It showcased Donatella’s impact and role in shaping Versace’s identity, focusing on empowerment and pushing design boundaries.
Versace 2004 Spring/Summer Show
Designed by Donatella, Mariah Carey and Beyonce donned in custom gowns that showcased the vibrant color scheme and identity of the collection. With asymmetrical cuts and ruffles, they both stunned with Donatella to support the new showcase and capture the essence of it.
Versace Flash 2021 Campaign Honoring BLM
This powerful photoshoot was a statement in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Donatella used this campaign to highlight Black artists, models and other creative individuals. Through this campaign, she showed that Versace is a brand associated with social awareness, inclusivity and activism. It merged luxury with the current political and social climate, providing a platform for Black voices to be amplified. It was incredibly captivating, featuring pops of color, edgy stances and strong power poses that made it all the more influential.
Versace 2021 Spring/Summer Campaign
As one of the first plus-size Black models to front a major Versace campaign, Precious Lee’s presence was a landmark moment for Versace. It was a huge shift for the brand to bring her in as a symbol of celebration for diversity and self-expression. This shoot embraced a range of body types, recognizing that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. It highlighted Donatella’s commitment to breaking boundaries and to reshaping Versace into a brand that not only sets trends but also recognizes the importance of representation.
Versace 2018 Fall/Winter Campaign
One of Donatella’s biggest accomplishments was this campaign. It featured one of the most diverse casts in Versace’s history. It showcased models of different ethnicities, body types and backgrounds. They were dressed in bold prints that highlighted the collection’s explosive energy. Under Donatella Versace’s vision, the campaign reflected her ongoing goal to make the brand more inclusive and reflective of the real world. She used the photoshoot to showcase beauty in all forms, recognizing that inclusivity is one of the most important values of Versace.
The loss of Donatella will be immense for Versace, but it’s important to note that all of her success has caused tremendous growth for the company. Left with her transformative ideas and accomplishments, the brand is ready to be transformed and built up with Dario Vitale’s vision.
Edited by Hana Razvi
DEI Review by Kabir Chawla
