Donatella became the star of the evening, dazzling in a short dress and showcasing her stunning figure. But what really caught the attention was her new hairstyle — she moved away from ash blonde to a more natural shade and changed her styling. Even more attention was drawn to her noticeably improved face.

People were quick to express their admiration in the comments. One wrote, “You look stunning Donatella! ” Another added, “You’ve never looked better!” One noted, “That new face looks beauty!” Someone asked, “Did Donatella remove her fillers ?” One even joked, “She surely took the substance!” Another commented, “People, someone needs to find out who this doctor in Hollywood is who is performing these miracles.😱”

Here’s how Donatella’s journey to the top began.

No one can argue that Versace is one of fashion’s biggest and most luxurious brands, but first and foremost this family’s story shows us the importance of family values.

The story of this fashion empire started with designer Gianni Versace, who grew up inspired by his mom, who was a dressmaker. In 1978, at 32 years old, Gianni established his own company with his brother Santo as CEO and his sister Donatella as a designer and vice president.

The relationship between Gianni and Donatella, who is 8 years his junior, was always so special. She was his closest adviser, most trustworthy friend, and biggest muse. He was also the one who advised her to dye her hair platinum blonde, a look that became her forever iconic trademark. Gianni even once declared, “If I were to marry, I would look for a girl like Donatella.”

When tragedy struck

Following Gianni’s tragedy, it was declared that Donatella would assume creative control of Versace. The then 42-year-old felt extremely overwhelmed by this heavy responsibility, and her insecurities as a designer made her not feel ready to carry this burden. She admitted, “For the first 5 years, I was lost,” She noted, “I made a lot of mistakes.”

With fame and fortune on one hand and her self-critical nature on the other, Donatella gave in to a lot of temptations and distractions in order to deal with the pressures that came with her position. This eventually made her life spiral out of control.

However, a few years later, the designer realized that she had to believe in herself and her capabilities and take control of the future of the empire. Otherwise, her beloved brother’s legacy would be in serious danger.

Finding her own voice

And luckily, Donatella ended up finding her true voice and identity in the fashion world. Because at the start of her career, she admitted, “I tried to follow in his footsteps. But it was not exactly my style.”

Thinking back on her first challenging years, she’d advise herself to “Be strong, and stay true to yourself… But most of all, follow your own instincts, and don’t try to be Gianni.”

The 3 elements that set her creations apart from her brothers’ were the use of less bright colors, less revealing clothes, and less decoration. And needless to say that it took a lot of courage for Donatella to get rid of them.

In fact, being a woman who is designing for women made Donatella “understand exactly what women want to wear.”

The beauty and the challenge of being a woman