Donatella Versace is starting a new chapter. On September 21, 2026, the designer Donatella Versace and Revolve Group announced a joint venture to build a brand-new fashion and beauty label, with Donatella stepping in as Chief Creative Officer. The venture will launch with beauty products first, targeted for 2027, before expanding into fashion and lifestyle categories.
The project marks a major new chapter for Donatella after she stepped down as Versace’s chief creative officer in 2025. It is separate from the Versace fashion house, which is now owned by Prada Group, although Donatella continues to serve as Versace’s chief brand ambassador.
Here’s a complete breakdown of who Donatella Versace is, what the new brand entails, and why this partnership matters.
Key takeaways
- Donatella Versace and Revolve Group have created an independent joint venture.
- Donatella will serve as chief creative officer of the new business.
- The official brand name has not yet been announced.
- Its name and first products are expected to be revealed in 2027.
- Beauty will be the initial product focus, with fashion forming part of the wider business.
- The brand plans to target the United States, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.
- The business is separate from the Versace fashion house now owned by Prada Group.
- Pricing, individual products and an exact release date remain unconfirmed.
Who Is Donatella Versace?
Donatella Francesca Versace was born on May 2, 1955, in Reggio Calabria, Italy, the youngest of four children in the Versace family. She grew up alongside her brother Gianni Versace, who founded the eponymous luxury fashion house in 1978, and the two worked closely to build a brand that fused Italian craftsmanship with pop culture and celebrity glamour. Together, they are widely credited with launching the supermodel era of the 1990s by putting editorial models front and center on the runway.
Everything changed in 1997, when Gianni was murdered outside his Miami Beach home. Donatella inherited a portion of the company and stepped into the role of creative director, a position she held for nearly three decades. Under her leadership, Versace expanded well beyond ready-to-wear, growing into fragrances, fine jewelry, timepieces, interiors, and the Palazzo Versace hotels in Dubai, the Gold Coast of Australia, and Macao. She also built close ties with celebrities and musicians, dressing everyone from Madonna to Jennifer Lopez, and she has served on the board of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. She is the mother of two children, Allegra and Daniel, and recently made a cameo appearance in “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”
Donatella Versace profile overview
| Profile detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Donatella Francesca Versace |
| Date of birth | May 2, 1955 |
| Age ( 2026) | 71 |
| Birthplace | Reggio Calabria, Italy |
| Profession | Creative director of Versace (1997–2025), fashion designer, businesswoman |
| Siblings | Gianni Versace, Santo, and Tina Versace |
| Children | Allegra and Daniel |
| Versace creative leadership | 1997–2025 |
| Current Versace role | Chief brand ambassador of Versace |
| New position | Chief creative officer of the upcoming Revolve joint venture |
| New brand launch date (estimated) | 2027 |
Why Donatella Versace Left Versace Fashion House
This new chapter follows a significant shift at the Versace fashion house itself. In March 2025, Donatella stepped back from her role as creative director after guiding the brand for nearly 30 years, with Dario Vitale initially taking over creative duties. The transition accelerated further when Prada Group acquired Versace from Capri Holdings in 2025, in a deal reported to be worth roughly €1.25 billion, or about $1.5 billion. Under its new ownership, Versace named Pieter Mulier as chief creative officer in 2026, marking a fresh creative era for the house Gianni founded.
Donatella has not disappeared from the Versace name entirely; she has continued in the role of chief brand ambassador, keeping a visible connection to the label while pursuing this new, independent venture with Revolve. Reports also note that contractual restrictions tied to her exit prevented her from using the Versace name on any future label, which helps explain why the new brand is being built entirely from scratch.
Donatella Versace’s New Brand Launch announcement
The Revolve Partnership
The new venture pairs Donatella’s decades of creative authority with Revolve Group, the Los Angeles-based online retailer known for reshaping how younger shoppers discover fashion. Revolve has moved well past its e-commerce roots in recent years, building an in-house incubator for celebrity and designer collaborations. The company’s recent projects include Grow-Good Beauty, a vegan line launched with Cardi B in April 2025, and SRG, a fashion label released with Sofia Richie Grainge in November 2025. Revolve also owns brands such as Helsa and Camila Coelho, and it launched Revolve Los Angeles with ambassador Bella Hadid.
Unlike Versace’s earlier limited-run collaborations, such as the 2011 H&M capsule, the 2022 Fendi crossover, or the 2026 Onitsuka Tiger release, this new label is designed to be a lasting, independent business rather than a one-off drop. The brand does not yet have a name, but the companies have confirmed that beauty products will arrive first, with fashion and lifestyle offerings to follow. The announcement places her back in direct creative control approximately 18 months after she left Versace’s top design position.
Donatella Versace’s new brand Overview
| Detail | Confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Founder and creative lead | Donatella Versace |
| Business partner | Revolve Group |
| Business structure | Independent joint venture |
| Product categories | Beauty and fashion |
| Initial product focus | Beauty |
| Expected launch | 2027 |
| Official brand name | Not announced |
| Target consumers | Primarily Millennials and Gen Z |
| Planned markets | United States, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Middle East |
| Relationship to Versace | Separate from the Versace fashion house |
| Donatella’s continuing Versace role | Chief brand ambassador |
Revolve: Company overview and Founder
Revolve, officially Revolve Group, Inc., is a publicly traded American online fashion retailer and technology-driven e-commerce company. The group reported approximately $1.23 billion in total revenue for 2025 and offers products from around 1,600 brands across its platforms, according to Vogue’s reporting on the partnership.
The company was founded in Los Angeles in 2003 by Michael Mente and Mike Karanikolas, who continue to serve as its co-CEOs. The founders used technology, customer data, digital marketing and influencer partnerships to build a fashion business aimed primarily at Millennial and Gen Z consumers.
That infrastructure could help the new label:
- Study digital shopping behavior
- Introduce products directly to consumers
- Reach younger fashion and beauty audiences
- Work with creators and cultural personalities
- Coordinate content, events and commerce
- Expand across several international regions
For Revolve, the deal offers the cultural authority of one of fashion’s most recognizable figures. For Donatella, it provides technology, distribution and the freedom to create an identity outside her family’s fashion house.
What Donatella Versace said about the venture
Donatella explained that she was attracted to Revolve’s understanding of how culture develops through connection.
She also presented the venture as an opportunity to communicate with younger people in a new and more personal way through beauty and fashion. Her stated creative priorities include fearlessness, inclusion and an ongoing relationship with music, film, art and contemporary culture.
This direction aligns with the approach she used throughout her Versace career. Donatella rarely treated fashion as an isolated industry. Musicians, actors, models, photographers and major entertainment events were central to how she kept Versace visible.
Michael Mente and Mike Karanikolas on the Deal
The announcement carried statements from both of Revolve’s leaders.
Michael Mente, co-founder and co-CEO of Revolve Group, said the partnership gives Donatella’s vision “an entirely new platform and the freedom to build something from the ground up.”
His co-founder and co-CEO, Mike Karanikolas, added that combining Donatella’s creative authority with Revolve’s technology, infrastructure, and global reach creates an opportunity to build something “genuinely distinctive” for the long term.
Donatella herself framed the move as a return to creative freedom. In a statement released with the announcement, she said she believes creativity should be “fearless, inclusive and alive in the world,” and that the partnership lets her speak to a new generation through beauty and fashion in a personal way.
Donatella Versace New Brand Name & Launch Date
While the joint venture was formally announced in September 2026, the brand’s actual launch is still ahead. Beauty is expected to arrive first in 2027, with the brand’s name, full creative vision, and fashion offerings set to be revealed in the coming months. No exact launch date has been confirmed yet, so shoppers curious about the drop will need to watch for updates from Donatella and Revolve directly. The launch is expected to begin with beauty products. Clothing and other fashion categories are likely to follow as the brand develops, but a complete release schedule has not been published.
What will Donatella Versace’s new brand sell?
The venture will cover both beauty and fashion, but beauty will lead its commercial debut.
That order matters. Beauty products can reach a broader audience than luxury ready-to-wear because consumers can often enter the brand at a more accessible price point. Products such as cosmetics, fragrances and beauty accessories can also be introduced frequently and promoted effectively through social platforms.
The partners have not confirmed whether the opening collection will contain makeup, fragrance, skincare, hair care or multiple categories. No verified prices or product names were available when this article was prepared.
The wider concept may eventually extend beyond physical products. Vogue reported that its scope will include experiences and entertainment beyond the conventional runway, suggesting that content and cultural events may become part of the brand’s identity.
Donatella Versace’s influence on celebrity fashion
Donatella helped strengthen the connection between high fashion and entertainment. Her work frequently appeared on performers and actors whose public images matched the house’s confident visual identity.
One of the best-known examples is Jennifer Lopez’s green Versace dress at the 2000 Grammy Awards. The outfit became a defining celebrity-fashion moment and is widely associated with the demand that helped inspire Google Image Search.
Donatella’s continuing relevance also benefits from renewed interest in archival fashion. Younger celebrities frequently wear vintage designer pieces, bringing older collections to audiences who may not have seen them when they were first released.
That cross-generational influence is strategically valuable for a new digital-first business. Donatella offers the history and recognition of an established luxury designer while Revolve offers access to consumers who discover brands through social media, creators and online culture.
Why this new brand could appeal to Gen Z and Millennials
Younger fashion customers often discover products differently from traditional luxury shoppers. Their purchasing decisions may begin with a creator video, celebrity appearance, music event or viral image instead of a runway presentation or print advertisement.
The partnership is built around this behavior. Revolve understands digital customer acquisition and influencer-led discovery, while Donatella understands how clothing and beauty become cultural images.
The business nevertheless faces several challenges:
- Donatella’s identity is strongly associated with the Versace name.
- The new label must develop recognizable codes of its own.
- It must balance broad accessibility with a distinctive image.
- Celebrity attention must translate into repeat customers.
- Beauty is competitive and requires more than a famous founder.
- The brand must explain why it is different from Versace.
Its early success will therefore depend on more than publicity. Product quality, positioning, pricing, distribution and a clear identity will matter once the initial excitement fades.
Conclusion
Donatella Versace’s move into business with Revolve Group marks one of the most closely watched fashion announcements of 2026. After nearly three decades shaping Versace’s identity, she is now building something entirely her own, backed by a retail partner with a growing track record of turning cultural influence into successful brands. With beauty expected in 2027 and fashion to follow, all eyes will be on the brand name, first collection, and launch date once Donatella and Revolve are ready to share more.
FAQs about Donatella Versace new brand launch
Yes. Donatella Versace and Revolve Group have announced an independent joint venture that will create a new fashion and beauty brand.
It is a still-unnamed fashion and beauty venture launched in partnership with Revolve Group, with Donatella serving as Chief Creative Officer. Beauty products are expected first, followed by fashion and lifestyle offerings.
The joint venture was announced in September 2026, with beauty products expected to arrive in 2027. An exact launch date, along with the brand name, has not yet been announced.
Yes. While she stepped down as creative director in March 2025, Donatella remains the brand’s chief brand ambassador even as she builds her new, independent label with Revolve.
Also Read: Bare Anatomy: Complete Guide to Brand History, Hair Care Products, Prices & Retail Success (2026)
