After a career marked by resilience and family heritage, Donatella Versace hands over creative control to Dario Vitale, while Prada acquires the fashion house to restructure the Italian luxury empire.
The blonde silhouette remains, but everything around her has changed. Donatella Versace, the iconic figure of the fashion house that bears her name, announced in March 2025 that she was stepping down as creative director to become the brand's "chief ambassador." According to Social Life Magazine, her personal fortune was estimated at around $400 million that same year.
A legacy forged by grief and the stage
Born on May 2, 1955, in Reggio Calabria, Donatella grew up in what could be called her mother's "fabric den," overshadowed by family drama and an older brother, Gianni, whom she considered both a mentor and a true creative genius. According to Social Life Magazine and various biographies, Gianni's tragic death in 1997 changed her life forever: she took over the artistic direction of Versace, preserved the dramatic soul that characterized the house, and gradually became an icon in her own right.
This success should also be seen as a story of addiction and resilience. Most of the stories reported by Social Life Magazine refer to a long struggle with cocaine, followed by an intervention orchestrated by Elton John in 2004, then a stay in rehab. These episodes were followed by a patient return to creativity and strengthened leadership, particularly during major events such as the famous jungle dress worn by Jennifer Lopez.
The creative transition and its new face
This change in leadership was made official in the spring of 2025. Dario Vitale, former director of Miu Miu, took over as creative director on April 1, 2025, according to Britannica, AP, and Forbes. Donatella, for her part, shared a post on Instagram: "It has been the greatest honor of my life to carry on my brother Gianni's legacy," sincerely emphasizing her loyalty to the family heritage in front of her followers.
The company's financial trajectory has had a direct impact on Donatella's personal wealth. According to Social Life Magazine, her stake in the brand, as well as certain past transactions, including the partial sale to Blackstone in 2014 and then the integration into Capri Holdings in 2018, have greatly contributed to increasing her net worth.
But beware, it should also be noted that by 2025, things had changed. On April 10, Le Monde announced that Prada had acquired Versace for €1.25 billion. This acquisition brought the Italian fashion house back under Italian ownership after a period of instability in the luxury market. According to Le Monde, Prada's solid financial health and comfortable cash flow facilitated the transaction.
What this means for Versace under Italian ownership
The acquisition therefore marks a new phase for the company. Prada, a heavyweight in the sector, is seeking to strengthen its position in the luxury market and capitalize on Versace's reputation. According to analyses cited by Le Monde, this operation was carried out in response to regulatory pressure and difficulties encountered by Capri Holdings.
Donatella, who has often described the "blonde" as a role and a kind of armor, continues to play a major role in the brand's narrative. According to Social Life Magazine, she explained: "Ninety percent of the employees will applaud loudly." This sentence, uttered with her customary dark humor, reflects her way of dealing, in a sense, with mortality and criticism.
Legacy and outlook
This departure from active creation does not mean that the artistic imprint will be forgotten. Versace retains a flamboyant identity, inherited from Gianni and maintained by Donatella. The sale to Prada opens a new chapter, not only commercially but also culturally, raising questions about how to preserve the house's style and spirit in this new environment.
Donatella's career has been uneven, marked by economic success, personal scars, and a key role in the image of luxury. As several biographies and specialized articles point out, her story combines pain and spectacle, family heritage, and business choices.
According to Forbes, Britannica, AP, Biography, and Social Life Magazine, the period between 2024 and 2025 was crucial: a passing of the creative torch, a repositioning of shareholders, and a return to Italian ownership. Now that the house belongs to Prada, its future remains to be written, but Donatella's mark remains etched into the very fabric of Versace.