DONATELLA VERSACE


CHAIR, FASHION FRINGE AT COVENT GARDEN “When I was developing as a young designer I was fortunate to have a great mentor and teacher – my brother Gianni. He could see that I had the desire and enough talent to become a good designer and he took the trouble to encourage me and to get me into good habits.


I think back on that time often, and realize that what he was trying to do was to help me to think about what I was doing, and to develop a sense of who I was and what I believed in. This is something that is crucial to a designer, and though with time comes invaluable experience, it is never too early to start analyzing your ideas and asking yourself the important questions – do I really believe in this idea? Do I really feel passionate about this direction? Because in the end your self belief is what will drive you to success.


I have been involved with Fashion Fringe at Covent Garden for a couple of years now and it is a role I value and enjoy. I have always felt it to be really important for established designers to connect with new talent. Speaking personally, I find it an energizing experience, and am always inspired by the energy and enthusiasm of people starting out on their careers in fashion. There is a wonderful freedom in a designer’s early work – an attitude that says that anything is possible and that the rulebook need not apply.


Each generation of designers believes it will change the world, and that is as it should be. Maybe some of those in Fashion Fringe will make a huge impact? Who knows? But what I do know from experience – my own and that of my brother – is that those who do well do so through hard work and passion. From the outside it may look like it is all about the glamour of the catwalk and the red carpet, and features in Vogue. But that is just a beautiful mirage. The reality is much less glamorous, and much more serious.


There are no short cuts in the modern fashion industry, and if initiatives like Fashion Fringe can teach only this one lesson, then they are serving a very useful purpose.”


Donatella Versace, Milan, Italy


4


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47