Mission speaks to Donatella Versace, about her decades-long support of LGBTQIA+ communities and what it means to be known as a queer icon.
For nearly the entire existence of Versace, the brand’s evolution has coincided with significant progression in the LGBTQIA+ community. Gianni Versace was openly gay at a time when there was still strong prejudice. Both he and Donatella witnessed the AIDS epidemic claim the lives of many they knew, which would strongly influence them. Following Gianni’s passing, Donatella remained steadfast in her support of the community her brother belonged to; she witnessed the increased vocalization of LGBTQIA+ rights, which had led to major progression by the aughts and would transform perspectives globally—but are now once again under threat.
Donatella has been at the forefront of this, walking arm in arm with those who seek to shift the attitudes surrounding these marginalized groups. At this point, she has become a queer icon as much as a fashion icon for her sustained commitment to the organizations and individuals lifting up the LGBTQIA+ community. There aren’t many designers—based in Europe no less—that make a point of coming to the Stonewall Inn during Pride Month or make visits to the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
It feels even more rare in this time when the ceaseless fashion news cycle has antithetically afforded designers more opportunity to say less outside the perfunctory runway backstage interviews.
Madonna, Donatella Versace, and Cher at the Met Gala, 1997. Photo by AP Photo/Don Pollard.
So why does Donatella go to these lengths? It might be to honor her late brother, or it might be that artistic and creative industries thrive on diversity. But it also may be as simple as equal rights are important to her, and she’s finding as much inspiration in these young, vocal, expressive communities as they have found in her.
Gautam Balasundar: When did you begin becoming passionate about advocacy and philanthropy?
Donatella Versace: As a family we have always believed in supporting others. From the early days of Versace we raised funds for charity—specifically those that supported HIV and AIDS. Gianni and I lost many friends to the disease and felt we must do something to support. I am learning all the time about how I can support through advocacy—I honestly sometimes feel I am still at the beginning and have so much to do. In a world where LGBTQ+ rights continue to be challenged and questioned we still have so much to do. I feel very strongly that I should use my platform to help others and bring attention to issues that are close to my heart.
“From the early days of Versace we raised funds for charity—specifically those that supported HIV and AIDS. Gianni and I lost many friends to the disease and felt we must do something to support.”
Donatella Versace
GB: Aside from Elton John, who were the people that informed your view on LGBTQ+ rights over the years? Who do you admire today for their advocacy and support for that community?
DV: Elton was a major force for me, and he and David Furnish continue to inspire me with their work for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. I was also incredibly inspired by Elizabeth Taylor, who was a good friend to Gianni. More recently I have learned so much from Alessandro Zan, the Italian politician who is fighting hard to combat the right-wing government’s aim to take away rights from the LGBTQ+ community. I am also so inspired when I meet the people working at a grassroots level around the world to support the community. Most recently I have been involved in supporting Check Point, one of the only independent sexual health care clinics for the LGBTQ+ community in Milan, and this March I was honored to become the first global ambassador for the Los Angeles LGBT Center. On my trips to Los Angeles, I have been so moved to spend time at the Center, learning about their vital work and meeting the youth who are part of the Center’s community.
GB: How did you become friends with Elton John? What has it meant to you to be so closely connected to The Rocket Fund and the initiatives of the Elton John AIDS Foundation over so many years?
DV: Elton and Gianni were like brothers—they were so close and became friends because Elton loved Versace clothes and loved Gianni—so I guess that makes me his little sister! I was lucky enough to meet Elton through Gianni and have always loved him, his heart, his exceptional kindness, and his music.
He has been so supportive of me over so many years and through some of the hardest times in my life and I count him as one of my dearest friends. I have also learned from Elton that we need to use our position of privilege to try to make the world a better place. What Elton has achieved, with David and their team, is incredible and so inspiring.
It was a huge honor to become co-chair of The Rocket Fund last year, with our ambition to raise $125 million for the Elton John AIDS Foundation to help with their goal to end AIDS by 2030. We have three years to raise the money and I am thrilled to say we are well on our way. This year we have created a great Versace Pride collection and money from that will go to The Rocket Fund. I continue to learn so much from Elton and David.
GB: What is it like meeting people from the communities you support, whether it’s through The Rocket Fund, Check Point, or when you visit the Los Angeles LGBT Center?
DV: It is the most meaningful part of what I am involved with. Whether that is meeting the volunteer doctors working at Check Point in Milan or some of the amazing youth who are helped by the Los Angeles LGBT Center, it is the most rewarding and emotional part of what we are doing. We recently gave a prize at the LGBT Center to an amazing person who had once needed the facilities at the Center and was so helped by the Center that they are now out in the world carving their own path. It is so inspiring to meet these incredible people and see both the work they are doing and how they have been helped through these incredible places. I find it very humbling.
GB: Fashion is an artistic endeavor, but it’s also a platform that brings together musicians, actors, artists, and other public figures. Do you think it’s important for that platform to connect with social issues such as LGBTQ+ rights?
DV: I think it is important that those who have audiences all over the world use their platform for good. Music, film, art, and fashion are magical—we are so lucky to work in a creative space and to be able to express ourselves freely. But we also have a responsibility to help give a voice to those who don’t have the same platform or freedom. I am horrified by the increase in extreme right-wing politics in the world and the bigotry, ignorance, and hatred that inevitably accompany that. If our creative space can also give a voice to others whose voices are not heard so loudly then I am very proud of that. It feels like a responsibility… no, a necessity. Also, throughout history, art has expressed the time that it is in. It is a reflection of culture. Of course in fashion we make clothes, but the context in which we operate has always been an important influence on design and our voice. The best creative work can express so much. I feel very strongly that the global creative community has a responsibility to champion minority voices—exactly like you are doing at Mission.
GB: You have been working with some of these organizations for decades now, during times when there was less acceptance of LGBTQ+ rights and advancement. What have been the biggest hurdles you have faced and what helped you navigate those moments?
DV: Don’t you think that it is getting worse in the world today? I feel like there is less acceptance around outside the big liberal cities of the world. The hurdles are getting your voice heard, getting government to understand its power and responsibility to minority communities, and the ultimate hurdle is ignorance. What has helped me the most is meeting inspiring young people who, through their activism, are changing the world to be a better place and who never give up, and also having the company of extraordinary allies who do a much better job than me of raising awareness and funds.
“A life without optimism and hope is no life at all. I like to think I have a positive but realistic outlook on life. I am in such a privileged position, and I take nothing for granted.”
GB: It sometimes seems like we take two steps forward and then one step back. Even in 2024, many LGBTQIA+ rights are being challenged and restricted in places like the United States. How do you remain optimistic and what gives you hope about the future?
George Michael and Donatella Versace, 1988. Photo courtesy of Versace.
DV: A life without optimism and hope is no life at all. I like to think I have a positive but realistic outlook on life. I am in such a privileged position, and I take nothing for granted. What gives me the most optimism and hope is the spirit of the amazing young people I meet around the world—their constant drive to fight for a better world and for acceptance. I am realistic that we still have so much work to do as a culture. As a straight white woman, I am also learning every day from others about what being an ally really means and how to use my position of privilege to truly help. I have learned that something as simple as listening to one person’s story and for them to feel heard is vital and I hope so much that we can all take time to do just that, now and in the future.
GB: You have been referred to as a queer icon for the work you have done for the LGBTQIA+ community—do you see this as part of your legacy?
DV: I am truly honored to be considered a queer icon—there is a fun part to that, of course, but for me it comes with a huge sense of responsibility. My brother Gianni came out to me when I was 11 years old, so I guess you could say he was responsible for making me an ally. I never cared who my brother loved, just that he was happy. It’s the same for me when I meet and build my chosen family. My life is richer because of the extraordinary people I have met around the world. I love them for their kindness, their respect for each other, their acceptance, and their hearts. The LGBTQ+ community has been so welcoming and supportive of me. This is not about legacy. This is about being part of an incredible community of people who have given me so much love and whom I love in return.
GB: You participated in many Pride Month events long before designing this new collection—do you have any favorite memories of them?
DV: I think the most extraordinary moment for me was being part of the Pride parade for the first time in New York and being on the Stonewall float going through Manhattan. I have never felt such love and acceptance, and that feeling stays with me always.
Top image Donatella Versace, Elizabeth Taylor, and Gianni Versace, 1991. Photo courtesy of Versace. All images courtesy of Versace.
