"There is no comparison. Gianni was a genius. I'm ... a sister," she says 
sweetly..

Gianni may have coined Versace's over-the-top, glitzy sex goddess look in the 
1980s and 1990s, but it is Donatella who has brought it down to earth for the 
21st century.

In contrast to the excesses of her brother's era--chain-mail gowns and gilded 
Byzantine images of Madonna and child on clothes--Donatella's style is more 
restrained, less sex object and more self-confident....
   
People say I was his muse, but I was really his disturber. I was the only one 
who would tell him the truth."

If there is one thing Versace can't stand, it's yes men. She insists that her 
15-person design team is full of people who aren't afraid to disagree with 
the boss...

Fashion was different (back) then, she says. "Used to be, the theme of a 
collection was a trip to India or Morocco, but now the inspiration is the 
real world, the cities, the people, the attitudes, the streets."...

Donatella's ....birth date is the subject of some controversy, variously 
listed as 1955, 1958 and 1959...

Where antique art influenced Gianni, she is constantly seeking out 
cutting-edge artists and musicians for ideas...

Running with the jet set takes discipline. To keep herself up as the 
quintessential tanned, taut and blond Versace queen, she works out five days 
a week on a StairMaster and lifts free weights...

Not just a diva, she's also a mom....when she's in Milan, she leaves work in 
time to have dinner with her kids, Allegra, 15, and Daniel, 11. (Versace was 
married to the American-born Paul Beck, a former model who oversaw the 
company's ad campaigns.)...

In a climate where luxury conglomerates Gucci Group and LVMH Möet Hennessy 
Louis Vuitton make a large portion of their profits from accessories, Versace 
isn't the house one looks to for the season's hot bag or shoe.

While company sales rose last year, profits dropped because of increased 
investments in advertising and store remodeling. So, Versace and her older 
brother, chief executive officer Santo, are launching a two-year plan to gain 
tighter control over the house's image, with the help of outside investors.

Plans include buying back some licensing and franchising deals, boosting 
accessories and home collections and opening new, free-standing accessories 
stores.

Versace dismisses rumors that she wants to take the company public or to sell 
a majority stake. "It's not about the money," she says. "It's about 
establishing Versace as a luxury brand." 

================================================
DONATELLA'S VERSACE

Five years after her brother's murder, the Italian designer is a creative 
force 
on her own.

Los Angeles Times
May 31, 2002

<A HREF="http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-053102donatella.story">
Donatella's Versace</A>
http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-053102donatella.story