Exclusive: ‘Dubai represents a deep respect for tradition, and a total obsession with the future’ says Donatella Versace

Stepping into the Palazzo Versace Dubai is like entering a uniquely glamorous parallel universe. The light-filled interior hums with gilded decadence, from the handblown Bohemian glass chandeliers that hang from the ceiling down to the imposing Medusa-head mosaic picked out on the floor.

Modelled on a 16th-century Italian palace, the lobby is filled with neoclassical furniture in white, green and gold, and tables laden with intricate golden vases. Boasting 215 rooms and suites, along with 169 residences, the triple-fronted building stands on the shores of the Dubai Creek and is the fashion house’s second hotel – the first opened on Australia’s Gold Coast in 2000. In its imposing, sumptuous and unashamed flamboyance, it is a natural extension of the Versace brand.

To mark the official opening of the property, Donatella Versace herself descended on Dubai, throwing a lavish party where UAE socialites bumped shoulders with supermodels such as Helena Christensen, Natasha Poly and Alessandra Ambrosio, all dressed to kill in Atelier Versace couture.

The hotel is a project that Donatella holds close to her heart, she tells me. “For me, Palazzo Versace is the most incredible vision of the Versace world that we have yet to create. It is everything that I adore – craftsmanship, sophistication, energy and a passion for total luxury in life.”

The famed fashion diva was heavily involved in the design of the new hotel, she explains. “I love to design pieces for interiors. It is a different way of thinking than when I am designing for the catwalk. There is a timelessness to interiors that I love. I always think about what happens when people are experiencing the Versace life. I think about how people feel when they wear our clothes. I also think about how they will feel in our hotels, surrounded by this extraordinary craftsmanship and splendour. I want people to have the best time of their lives at Palazzo Versace. I want them to experience pure joy.

“Dubai is the perfect city to make this dream come to life. It is one of the most exciting cities on the planet. It represents a deep respect for tradition, and a total obsession with the future. This mix of tradition and the future is also what defines the Versace world.”

The brand has come a long way since 1978, when a young Gianni Versace moved to Milan to set up his own fashion line. The son of a dressmaker, and the second of three siblings, he arrived in the city convinced that there had to be an alternative to the staid and dusty fashion of the time. Unlike the grand designers of Italian fashion, such as Giorgio Armani and Valentino, who created elegant suits and demure gowns, the young Gianni bristled with rebellion. He electrified the scene with his first collection of short, tight, bordering-on-vulgar dresses.

His pieces were a brash, unforgiving declaration of youth. Perfect for the young and beautiful to wear on dance floors and yachts, they were a huge success. He was fearless in his use of colour, and experimented boldly with new materials, crafting pieces from leather, rubber and fluid metal mesh.

He was joined in Milan by his older brother, Santo, who came to look after the finances of the new company, and their sister, Donatella, who would handle advertising. Donatella quickly took on the role of muse, however, as Gianni trusted her taste and instincts. Building on his idea of the power of women, he adopted Medusa – she whose gaze could turn a man to stone – as the company’s emblem.

Gianni was also quick to recognise opportunities and is credited with inventing "the front row" at fashion shows. As Anna Wintour explained to The New York Times, Versace "was the first to realise the value of celebrity in the front row, and the value of the supermodel, and put fashion on an international media platform".

On July 15, 1997, Gianni was brutally murdered on his doorstep in Miami, in an apparently motiveless attack. Within days, and despite their grief, Donatella was named chief designer, and Santo chief executive of Versace. As Versace was (and largely remains) a privately owned company, Gianni’s controlling 50 per cent stake, rumoured to be worth US$800 million (Dh3 billion), was bequeathed to his beloved niece, Donatella’s daughter, Allegra.

Donatella was suddenly thrust into the spotlight as the head of a vast empire, but denied the protective support that Gianni had traditionally offered her. But, in spite of the pressure and her own personal loss, there was never a question of not carrying the label on, she says. “Fashion has always been my life. There has never been an alternative, no plan B. Fashion and Versace is my life. For me, heritage is what is in my blood. My name is Versace, and so everything that I do is Versace. It will always have the brand’s codes and DNA, because that is also my DNA.

“I was born into a family of creativity and craftsmanship. My mother was a dressmaker, so the Italian traditions of cut, form and quality have been in my life since my earliest memories. But not everything was about tradition – my brother Gianni was nearly 10 years older, so when I was a child, I watched him rebel and find his love of fashion. When I became a teenager myself, he would dare me to be more extreme, to push my look further. Today, I can see how these two sides have influenced my character – the respect for tradition and the desire for rebellion.”

She may have faltered at first, but by 2000 Donatella had found her own voice – one that is admittedly softer, though no less provocative, than her brother’s. The slashed-to-the-waist “jungle dress” worn by Jennifer Lopez to the 2000 Grammy’s can be seen as transforming Donatella’s career (much like Liz Hurley’s famous “safety-pin dress” had done for Gianni 16 years earlier), marking her emergence as a fully fledged designer.

Donatella is today the vice president and chief designer of Versace, and the brand’s undeniable vision-maker. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Gianni’s death – which also means that Donatella has now been in charge of the company for longer than he was. So the Versace of today is resoundingly Donatella’s. And anyone looking for restraint will be disappointed; Donatella’s is a mantra of excess. “Versace is about strength, individuality and power. It’s also about loving life, making the best of every moment, being true to who you are. This is how I define Versace. I want to think about Versace not just today, but the Versace of tomorrow.”

She acknowledges that digitalisation and social media are taking the fashion industry into new, uncharted territory – and seems genuinely excited by the prospect. “The internet and social media have changed everything. The old systems are collapsing. For many people, they find it terrifying. They want everything in fashion to stay the same, as if smartphones had never been invented. I am the opposite. I cannot remember a time when fashion has been as exciting as it is today.

“What will change is how we connect with our customers around the world. How we interact, how you shop, how you get involved in fashion, in ways that were unimaginable before. It makes life so exciting. Fashion is about moving forward. When people say fashion is moving too fast, I think we have to move faster and plan the future together.”

With a fearless knack for grabbing headlines, Donatella marked her 60th birthday in 2015 by modelling in the fall/winter 2015 advertising campaign for Givenchy, a rival fashion house. While many questioned her decision, Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci described her as “iconic”.

“Like any woman, I face assumptions about who I am and what I can do,” Donatella admits. “Women have to prove themselves more than men, have to fight to have their voices heard. Times have changed, and things are getting better for women. I’m an artistic director, I’m a businesswoman, I’m a mother, I’m an advocate for change, and I’m a friend. There is still room for improvement, but things are changing for the better. I know that I am at my best when I am true to myself, and have a strong point of view. There have been times when I had doubts, or was cautious, and that then showed in my work. Each season I have to have the confidence and the strength to push Versace forward. It’s hard work, but the results are clear to me.”

Twenty years on and Donatella is still able to pull the odd surprise out of the bag. Arguably her most successful collection to date, the autumn/winter 2016 line for Atelier Versace featured artful draping, with swaths of glistening satin falling around the female form. Sensual, with bold contrasting colours, it was an unexpected step away from her trademark overt sexiness. But she hasn’t strayed too far – her ready-to-wear women’s collection for spring 2017 was straight back on familiar sex-bomb territory, although this time the focus was ultra-glam camping gear, with an unmistakable Versace twist.

In contrast, menswear for 2017 was said to be inspired by Bruce Weber’s shots for Versace’s autumn/winter 2016 campaign, and the hyper-masculine spin he put on it. Featuring lots of sportswear, parka coats became almost floor-length, billowing like parachutes; and suits were worn over bare torsos. In the formal section at the end of the show, women appeared wearing dresses inspired by men’s dress shirts. How very Versace to always reference in circles. Masculine and feminine, Gianni and Donatella – two sides of the same Medusa-headed coin.

Read this and more stories in Luxury magazine, out with The National on Thursday, February 2.

smaisey@thenational.ae