For all of the current commotion over fashion’s major makeover transformations on the runways, there’s something to be said for sticking to a signature look. Take, for example, Donatella Versace, who has spent her career perfecting the unending appeal of body-con dresses and a lifetime honing a trademark shade of rock ‘n’ roll blonde.
Versace’s thumbprint personal taste has not been swayed by aesthetic trends—you won’t find her regretting a pixie, a shag, or a 180 dye job. Case in point: A look back in time proves that for the designer, a waist-grazing blowout goes with everything from off-the-shoulder gowns to second-skin minis and smartly tailored power suits. Often captured in early pictures at the side of her late brother, Gianni, before taking the helm of the family business, she embodied the house’s va-va-voom sex appeal. Although in recent years, not even Versace could ignore the temptation to play with an abbreviated new length and canary tipped ends, as seen at this year’s Costume Institute Gala.
When it comes to makeup, she, like many Italian icons before her, relies on a daily rimming of black eyeliner for instant impact and a bronze-is-better aesthetic. And at least one photograph proves that nothing—not even a dance party with Jennifer Lopez—can come between her and her lip gloss.