What makes a house a Versace home? If you ask Donatella Versace, she might say that it’s about creating a space where you can truly enjoy life. “Versace is a pure energy that pulses through your veins. It is also superior craftsmanship, creativity, innovation and individuality.”
For a brand that first found renown through its ultra-luxe approach to fashion, the Italian house’s journey into the interiors space in the early ’90s was an unprecedented one. “We were the first brand to introduce pieces for the home in 1992,” says Donatella. Since then, the Versace Home collection has expanded to include furniture, ceramics, textiles and more.
“This time has made me think about home in a different way. The possibility of going into a place of work has long been taken for granted”
The sheer emblematic power of the brand she has helmed for over two decades is, of course, no mystery to Donatella. “We have such a strong DNA that it would be impossible not to know what Versace is,” she remarks. The home collection is instantly recognisable—not because it mimics the wearable offerings, but because it drips with the same grandeur and glamour the brand has become synonymous with.
While it is apparent at first glance that iconic Versace motifs lend themselves to homeware pieces as easily as they do to fashion—the brand’s Medusa logo or the maze-inspired Greca print (reinvented for autumn/winter 2021) show up in the latest collection on plush rugs, headboards, even table legs. Donatella notes that the home collection is no afterthought. “Versace Home is not an extension of Versace fashion. Instead, it is a way for anyone who loves the aesthetic to be completely surrounded by it.”
To achieve this effect, she tapped the minds of Ludovica and Roberto Palomba. Dubbed the ‘golden couple of Italian design’, the pair boast over 25 years of expertise in modern craft. “I knew that the pieces they create would be respectful of Versace’s long history and at the same time, be evolved and informed by their incredible knowledge of modern design. The result is striking.”
One of Donatella’s favourite items is the new Venus armchair: a sleek, sculptural piece with an intriguing zipped-up back. “It’s a surprising piece of furniture. With the use of a zip, it seems to open up like a little black dress. It serves as a homage to the top models who walked the Versace shows,” say the Palombas. “Working with Donatella felt like when a tornado meets a volcano—so much creative energy! Hearing her vision for the future of Versace and how that could be translated into the design world has been incredible. You have so much history, so many iconic codes and yet, so much newness.”
Donatella’s idea of what a home needs today is also new, especially since it has evolved alongside the events of the past two years. “This time has made me think about home in a different way. The possibility of going into a place of work has long been taken for granted. In these months of confinement, people are reconsidering not only the way they work, but also the way they live in their homes.”
Perhaps that is why the brand’s new flagship furniture showroom has been modelled after an actual home. Situated in the heart of a Milanese palazzo on via Durini 11, the boutique (with lavish gold accents in every corner) features varying spaces made to look like an entrance hall, dining room, and even a master suite comprising a bedroom and sitting room. And in true Versace spirit, deep inside lies a secret: a private garden.
“A new era has begun for Versace Home”
For Donatella, the showroom represents an exciting future for Versace Home. The latest collection will be shown at this year’s edition of Salone del Mobile in Milan—with some items refreshed in the newly rejuvenated La Greca print. The connection between fashion, architecture and design has never been stronger for the brand, and Donatella promises that there are more surprises to come. As she concludes: “A new era has begun for Versace Home.”
Find out more about the Versace Home collection on versace.com.
