Versace smiles again

Donatella Versace has emerged from the creative confusion caused by her brother, Gianni's, death. Her collections, though more sober than they were earlier, have nonetheless enchanted even her most vocal critics. She speaks to GAUTAMAN BHASKARAN.

DONATELLA VERSACE has survived three tumultuous years of high fashion. Not just survived but has lived and smiled through it, and proved her detractors wrong.

When her brother, Gianni, was murdered in Miami on July 15, 1997, stylists and trendsetters predicted that the $800 million Versace empire could not continue. But it did, and now flourishes.

The transition, though emotionally painful, was professionally smooth for Donatella. As Gianni's sister and the face of the Versace perfume, "Blonde", Donatella, contrary to the general impression, was an active partner, not a passive muse. Her presence in the atelier often inspired her sibling. As a woman who tried out the clothes he created, and as one younger by 10 years and in touch with the rocking and rolling youth, Donatella was not just immensely valuable for the label but also under the spotlight. She was a star at just about every show.

She remains so even today. Although she says that she is running the House the way Gianni would have wanted it, this is not quite the truth. Donatella has virtually erased the look that he spent a lifetime designing. Gianni's ever so daring dresses - sexy, fun and flashy - which made him renowned are all gone. So too his bold, primary colours. Softer, sleeker corporate suits and gauzy gowns in floral prints and feminine hues have come in. Well, but has the world accepted her?

"I do not know," she says during an interview at Milan, the company's headquarters. "It is up to the people to say if they have accepted my work or not. I love what I do, and I like to put 100 per cent of myself into it. The collections have been very successful, and I believe a lot of people appreciate my effort just as others do not, but that, I think, happens with every designer."

How easy or how difficult has it been without Gianni? "I miss Gianni terribly. I have lost a brother as well as the best maestro one could ever have. Every place reminds me of Gianni. I feel his presence around me, his knowledge follows me everywhere - in choosing fabrics, making everyday decisions, working on designs. I know I am not going to see him again. When I cannot decide about a dress or a suit, I try to imagine what Gianni would say. I have conversations with him in my head. Sometimes I feel that he is watching over me. I can still hear him calling, 'Don-a-tell-a'. I know I am going to hear him even after 20 years."

The sister's longing for a brother is touching. But, to pen a cliche, life goes on, and we move on to other questions.

Where is fashion headed in this new millennium? "Fashion over the next 10 years will be about putting different elements together. There will be constant research in technique and new materials. The next decade will be about the fun factor and desirability in clothes. The silhouette will become sleek and body conscious. There will be no hiding behind structures or layers."

In these times of strife and war all over the world, are people in a mood to look at fashion? Or, does fashion play different roles like, for example, diverting the mind from sorrow and suffering? "You are right. I think that fashion, in certain moments of strife, can help by acting as a distraction, by putting you in a good mood. Versace is sexy and glamorous. People are meant to feel nice about what they are wearing, and this helps them to forget what is happening around the world."

How does Versace feel about the modern man and woman? How focussed are they about looking great? "I am convinced that looking presentable is a state of mind. It is what your heart wants. Your individuality, intelligence and inner confidence will reflect on the way you appear externally."

True, indeed. Donatella has her finger on the right point, her heart in the right place and her sense of adventure on the right track. Which may soon lead her to India. "I would very much like to visit India in the near future, and perhaps find a place to open a boutique," she says.

Does she have an opinion of India and its people? "It is a very religious country where traditional values remain still very important. I think religion is becoming more and more personal and individual at a time when technology does not leave any space to the unknown."

Is there a possibility of Versace finding a slot in this scheme of things? "I think that there can be a harmonious blend between Indian women's wear and the Western attire. I love the strong and beautiful colours and materials that the Indian woman wears. I have often thought of that as an inspiration for my creativity."

Wonderful, to imagine that one of the world's top designers seeks motivation and encouragement from India.

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