Donatella Versace at spring/summer 2022 Versace show, featuring a backdrop of the brand’s iconic foulards. Image courtesy of Versace
Identifiable by her first name alone, Donatella Versace is unique among designers. The creative director gives LUX the lowdown on what it?s really like being a woman at the top, how she is dipping into the metaverse and why the future of her super-sexy Italian fashion house is all about breaking new ground ? and those safety pins. Interview by Fara Bashorun
LUX: How important was it for you to make your own mark on Versace, considering the lack of women designers at the top of the fashion industry"

Donatella Versace: It?s crucial, and I feel responsible ? but not just because I am a woman. But because I care. I care that Versace is successful, that my teams are happy. At the beginning it was harder. No one really believed in me. They have always seen me behind the scenes and I was happy to keep doing what I was doing. But then, you know, I didn?t really have a choice ? and to give up has never been an option. Because I was a woman ? and my surname didn?t matter ? I had to work harder than anyone to prove that I was capable. That?s why I think that the change must start from us. In fact, today, within Versace, women represent 64 per cent of the employees; and 48 per cent of those are executives. Regardless of all the progress that?s been made, women still have to prove themselves more than men have to; women have to fight har...