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In Pics: A look back at Versace's memorable moments

Last updated on: September 26, 2018 12:30 IST

As Michael Kors takes over the Italian fashion house, we take a trip down memory lane and revisit the Versace legacy through 13 memorable pics.

Photograph: Reuters Archives

Donatella Versace and her brother Santo (above) sit together before the Gucci Autumn/Winter 1999-2000 collection. Fashion runs in their family -- their mother was a dressmaker.

Their brother Gianni Versace moved to Milan and was the one to start the Versace brand in 1978.

In July 1997, when Gianni, 50, was at the peak of his career, he was murdered outside his Miami mansion.

Photograph: Stefano Rellandini/Reuters

Late Diana and pop star Elton John attend a memorial mass for Gianni Versace in Milan Cathedral.

Celebrities like Elton John, late Princess Diana and Madonna patronised the brand's designs.

Princess Diana had posed for the cover of Harper's Bazaar in a stunning Atelier Versace gown.

Back then, Versace was the first fashion brand to draw high-profile celebs to its fashion shows.

Photograph: Stefano Rellandini/Reuters

Donatella acknowledges the applause on the catwalk at the end of Versace's Spring/summer 2004 collection men's in Milan.

She took over Versace after her brother's death and continued the Gianni Versace's legacy of pushing the boundaries of fashion.

In a candid interview she once said: 'Gianni's ideal woman had a life that consisted mainly of chic cocktail parties. My Versace woman is a multitasker with a job and a family. To sum it up in a sentence, Versace’s fashion has become more realistic.'

Photograph: Megan Lewis/Reuters

A worker at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney removes a pair of jeans belonging to Gianni for auction. The jeans was auctioned along with fellow celebrity jeans from Claudia Schiffer, Tiger Woods, Nicole Kidman and Paul Newman. The auction proceeds went towards helping in the study for childhood genetic disorders and diseases.

As fashion houses across the world struggle to keep up with the trend, Versace -- with its hard-earned reputation -- has managed to swim against the tide for all these years.

Photograph: Gaston De Cardenas/Reuters

The Mosaic Suite, the room where Madonna stayed while visiting, at the South Beach mansion formerly owned by the late fashion designer in Miami Beach, Florida.

Versace spent $33 million renovating the house, which features a 54-foot mosaic pool lined with 24-karat gold. Scroll down to take a look at the pool.

Photograph: Gaston De Cardenas/Reuters

The view of the South Beach skyline and pool area of the South Beach mansion formerly owned by Gianni.

Photograph: David Gray/Reuters

Donatella was given a rose by Chinese action star Jet Li after her fashion show in Beijing November 13, 2008. The show was the first by the fashion label Versace in China.

Photograph: Stefano Rellandini/Reuters

People look at an artistic creation displayed as a part of the Versace home collection 2007 in Milan, April 18 2007.

Photograph: Fred Prouse/Reuters

Supermodel Cindy Crawford poses with Donatella.

According to the supermodel, 'the generation before us, there were show girls, and there were print girls, and very few did both.'

'Gianni was the first to say, 'I want the women in my campaign to also be on the runway,' she said in an interview.

Photograph: Alessandro Garofalo/Reuters

Donatella with her former husband Paul Beck, son Daniel and daughter Allegra pose for photographers as they arrive for the dinner after the ballet 'Grazie Gianni con amore' (Thanks Gianni with love) on the 10th anniversary of the death of the Italian stylist.

Photograph: Scott Gries/Getty Images

Jennifer Lopez in Versace at the 42nd Grammy Awards. According to Google, this dress is the reason why we have image search.

The dress caught the world's attention and it was the most popular search query that Google got. The rest is history.

Photograph: Stefano Rellandini/Reuters

Donatella paid a tribute to her brother, 20 years after he was shot to death, at Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2018 by reuniting some of her brother's favourite models to close the show.

Photograph: Stefano Rellandini/Reuters

Joining Donatella on stage were supermodels Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Helena Christensen along with former French president Nicolas Sarkozy's supermodel wife Carla Bruni.

Donatella also paid tribute to the late singer Michael Jackson by having the supermodels walk down the ramp to Freedom.

Photograph: Courtesy Donatella Versace/Instagram

In 2018, Donatella came up with a new tagline: 'Believe in individuality and the freedom to be whoever you want to be.'

With Michael Kors acquiring Versace, Donatella will stay on as the creative director.

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