Donatella Versace Wants Personality For Models To Be Super Again

Donatella Versace is not a believer in the natural look. She thinks it's time models should be super again. But amidst the sea of faceless models today, the Italian fashion designer cries, "There is not enough ego!"


"Now is a bad moment. Now we need something. We need a special personality. We need to feed the egos of these girls. Somebody like Kristen (McMenamy) who had a huge ego. Beautiful...," Donattela Versace says.

She misses the time when supermodels really become "supermodels" and recalls one occasion when her late brother Gianni Versace produced an autumn/winter show in 1991 that has become an era-defining moment in fashion.

"That moment when my brother put on the runway Christy, Linda, Cindy and Naomi together – they sang Freedom, and George Michael was in the audience – that was an iconic moment of fashion. That moment was when supermodels really became supermodels. It was the print girls' move to the runway, and that was something that felt new too – the print girls were not usually catwalk girls."

It was Donatella Versace who encouraged her brother to use attention-grabbing print girls for his show, contradicting the fashion industry's trend of staying away from notorious girls for fear that they might overshadow the clothes.

"It was a time when designers were afraid of models with fame. They were afraid that the clothes would be overtaken by the fame of the models. I said to Gianni, 'Do not be afraid like everybody else, because it is just stupid. Fame on fame means more fame! It does not take away anything; it adds.' It gave personality to the clothes, it gave things an edge that a runway show needs, otherwise it can be so borrring."

Being a hater of all things "borrring," Donatella Versace goes on to say that she does not like the neutral, pretentious look of models today.

"There is an idea of neutrality in models now. Little make-up, no expression, like a robot... That is very stupid. It is almost as if the models have to have the appearance of something serious, to give an intellectual base, but they themselves are rarely like that. And the roots of fashion are essentially fun. It is something that women wear to make themselves feel better, that shouldn't be forgotten. When you take the joy out of fashion, it is not fashion any more. If you are going to be very clever, too clever, be a scientist. I am not a scientist."

For Donatella Versace, what today's fashion models are lacking are personality. She remembers the time when the fashion industry was full of fun, crazy girls like the catfighting Linda Evangelista and Kristen McMemenamy, Amber Valetta, and the cigarette-puffing tiny girl - Kate Moss. These crazy girls have turned out to be iconic models.


"It was never about changing the girls, it was about defining who they were. I always respected the personality," Donnatella Versace explains.

"You should never be afraid in fashion. In this economic situation the worst thing you can be is afraid. You need to do something special, not safe."


The complete fashion manifest of Donnatella Versace is presented in the LOVE magazine's The Fashion Icons issue, out tomorrow.

Why Are Models Lying Down For Sping Campaigns?

Lara Stone is lying on her back in a woodsy setting with some birds for Louis Vuitton, Georgia May Jagger lands on a white fur blanket after falling backward over a purple velvet chair for Versace, and Raquel Zimmermann is being wrapped on sands by more than 30 brightly colored snakes for Alexander Mcqueen - these are just three of the numerous models all lying supine for spring fashion advertisements.

Ever wonder why lots of models are lying down for the spring campaigns?



"It's obviously sexual. But the other thing I think of is animal psychology, because I do watch 'The Dog Whisperer.' When dogs or cats lower themselves to make themselves seem submissive, they are giving up their power and displaying their lack of aggression," said David Wolfe, the creative director of trend forecasting company Doneger Group.

Mr. Wolfe further suggested that what we are seeing in the lying-for-spring ads may be the modern equivalent of swooning. Given the dark tone of the times, it may reflect a desire to return to traditional gender roles - or it could just be that the spring fashions were so restrained that they didn't know what else to do.

"It's very hard to make a sexy picture of an elegant dress. But throw the woman on the ground, and, oh, it's a sexual come-on. That moves merchandise," said Wolfe.