I love anyone who breaks the rules, and musicians always break the rules - in an aggressive way.
— Donatella Versace
I think there was a time when I was too strict and controlling. I think I asphyxiated my children.
How do I keep young? Haven't you heard? I sleep every night in the deep freezer!
Elegance is always in style for men. There are all different kinds of elegance. It can be silk, it can be a T-shirt.
In fashion, only sexy won't go out of fashion.
The body should be reconfigured by the clothes, never again the other way round.
I love the mix of people who hang out at nightclubs now. Their individuality is an inspiration to me. The music they listen to, the clothes they wear and the way they wear them defines a street style that I love.
I have long been a fan and enthusiast where art is concerned.
Many young people don't know what Versace represent. I want to show what makes Versace an iconic brand.
Fashion needs fresh blood, and London is the most creative place for that.
Some say the economy means that you have to persuade people to invest in clothes - to buy less things but more expensive things. I disagree - invest in jewelry, or a house, maybe, but not in fashion.
If I could dress anyone, I'd like to dress the Queen - she can handle anything. I'd put her in black - she never wears black - and add a little leather, maybe. A little rock n' roll.
You can't pretend that everybody likes Versace. It would be boring. It's better to create a reaction than to create no reaction. That's dangerous.
Fashion is all about happiness. It's fun. It's important. But it's not medicine.
I like perfume and flowers.
I think glamour all the time. I wake up in the morning and I'm already thinking glamour.
In order to be responsible, you need some discipline in your life. For a while I lost mine.
Something has to change in the world. Without change, young people will have no future.
I think men know to seduce women though words and conversation and nice gestures. That's much sexier than when a man uses muscle.
I have an image of what a British gentleman looks like, and that image finds real expression in Prince Charles. He is beyond fashion - he is an archetype of style.
Die and born again, die and born again. It's the story of my life.
For me, music gives a voice to fashion.
The suit does not represent the businessman anymore. Nor does the loud shirt represent the rock star. The same man can now wear both.
Richard Avedon is a true genius of photography and one of the greatest artists of our time.
For so long Versace couture was identified with celebrities and music, which I love. But at the same time it could overwhelm the clothes.
I think my own look makes people think I'm tough, but when they get to know me I'm very different.
For me the safety pin is about rebellion, and I'm punk in the soul.
Sometimes big designers are afraid that people won't recognize them if they change that much.
In Italian there is an expression: We don't sleep on the fame.
I don't like my physique at all.
I know who the Versace woman is, because I wear the clothes myself.
I'm a feminist. I want to fight, but I don't see many people with this desire to fight for something. Women don't help each other, especially in fashion.
Powerful women intimidate men. If she's a really well-known woman, she has a career, she's famous - in that case, men are really afraid.
You can have small moments of happiness in life. You certainly can't expect years and years of it.
Lady Gaga is the present and the future. She is the most revolutionary and inspirational artist. She is fearless and daring.
In my life I had no other choice than to become a strong person.
A business woman needs a successful mix of design and practicality.
The man of the millennium is much more liberated than the man of the '90s.
On a hanger, no dress is sexy. It's just fabric on a hanger.
I've learned how to appreciate what I have. And it's a lot. I'm very lucky.
Fashion is a weapon that you can use when you need it.
It would be very easy for us to do a collection that everybody would like and not criticize. But criticism is a part of life. You have to take it.
I don't like balance. Balance is not a word you can use in Versace fashion.
Gianni created the whole thing. I came later and helped him.
Creativity comes from a conflict of ideas.
