Quotes by Donatella Versace

In fashion, women have more sensitivity, more sense of the body, so they know how things fit and feel. Yet there are not many women who study fashion. It's ridiculous.

We all retire one day. If we want to, if we don't want to.

I love anyone who breaks the rules, and musicians always break the rules in an aggressive way.

I think there was a time when I was too strict and controlling. I think I asphyxiated my children.

At that time of the supermodels, celebrities didn't want to be in fashion; they thought they were more intellectual and interesting than anyone in fashion.

I love the strength of white blonde. Some people talk about having disasters while dyeing their hair -- in my opinion you can never have a blonde disaster ... I am always trying the latest products -- whatever is new goes on my hair.

Powerful women intimidate men. If she's a really well-known woman, she has a career, she's famous -- in that case, men are really afraid.

I love the mix of people who hang out at nightclubs now. Their individuality is an inspiration to me. The music they listen to, the clothes they wear and the way they wear them defines a street style that I love.

During the eighties and nineties, people wanted to be chic, elegant, bourgeois.

What is comfortable fashion? To be comfortable, that can't be in the vocabulary of fashion. If you want to be comfortable, stay home in your pajamas.

I don't even know what my natural color is. Natural? What is natural? What is that? I do not believe in totally natural for women. For me, natural has something to do with vegetables.

Women are all the same; we want to be smaller in the waist, longer legs, slimmer. I design for women and their defects, to make them better.

We shouldn't be copying what we see. We should try to find our own sense of style, to believe in ourselves.

I studied at a university in Florence and finished my degree. My mother was very strict about this recipe: You need to get your degree.

Haven't you heard? I sleep every night in the deep freezer!

How do I keep young? Haven't you heard? I sleep every night in the deep freezer!

Heterosexual men like to be sexy more than gay men, honestly.

Feminism is dead in the world. It comes from another time. I'm a feminist. I want to fight, but I don't see many people with this desire to fight for something. Women don't help each other, especially in fashion.

I'd need an incredibly talented make up artist to make me look natural!

My mother didn't want me to be in fashion. She was in the fashion business, so was my brother, and she thought it was too crazy for me. She wanted me to be married with children, to be independent, yes, but not to have a crazy life.

I think sex is part of life, like eating and breathing.

There's time to slow down, after you're dead.

I go from a full working day to making sure I am home for dinner with my kids. I couldn't do that in a 10cm mini skirt but I am not going to resort to sweatpants and an old t-shirt.

Women's bodies are curvy, sensual, it's about being happy to be a woman -- and sexy is always good.

I believe it is the responsibility and duty of those in high-profile positions to give a voice to people whose voices cannot be heard.

Alexander McQueen... The fashion world has not only lost an icon but we have also lost a very special friend.

A business woman needs a successful mix of design and practicality. I look for that special piece that sets the watch apart from the norm. I want to have something unique that differentiates itself with style and glamour.

When I worked with Gianni Versace at the end of his life, I was the person with whom he would confide and say anything. If there was something I didn't like, I would be honest and say, No, no, no! Do something different.

I know who the Versace woman is because I wear the clothes myself.

I know who the Versace woman is, because I wear the clothes myself.

For so long Versace couture was identified with celebrities and music, which I love. But at the same time it could overwhelm the clothes.

Wear a fabulous smile, great jewelry and know that you are totally and utterly in control.

I am not a great believer in fairy tales. Every woman should fight hard for her own happy endings. Although occasionally it is nice to wake up as a princess.

Elegance is always in style for men.

Elegance is always in style for men. There are all different kinds of elegance. It can be silk, it can be a T-shirt.

Fashion is not frivolous. I am a businesswoman, a very serious person.

For me the safety pin is about rebellion, and I'm punk in the soul.

Sometimes big designers are afraid that people won't recognize them if they change that much.

In Italian there is an expression: We don't sleep on the fame.

I was a fashion addict by the time I was 11 years old. I'd wear a miniskirt and patent-leather boots.

I do think that exercise is important, not only to keep you in shape but also for your state of mind. However, I am not fanatical about it.

I wake up at about the same time every day. I sleep well and wake without an alarm clock.

I'm like a little kid when it comes to music. I mean, the music is always blasting wherever I am that people always knock on my door and say, 'It's too loud!' But I think music gives so much inspiration.

To define the era we live in is very difficult. How do we define it? We define it by music.

I have to say, I grew up with fashion because my mother was a seamstress, and she had an atelier. She would cut the first pattern, and then she had people working for her. So I grew up in an atelier, watching people all around me sewing. I was fascinated.

To be Catholic puts a lot of fear in you. It's a great religion, but also one that can limit your experience. You fear experience because everything is a sin.

New York is full of creative people, not only in fashion.

Women should be sure of themselves because women have a lot of capacities. We can achieve so many different things that men cannot. I think women are stronger.

You couldn't define the '80s when the '80s were happening. We kept changing. We had shoulder pads, then we didn't. It was revealing, and then it was decoration. It was a lot of things at once. It was defined when it was over.

My muse changes all the time because I think every designer is a bit of a muse for themselves in a way -- they just don't want to say it.

I think people need to see Prince live to really understand how remarkable he is.

Hollywood is a very inspiring place.

The body should be reconfigured by the clothes, never again the other way round.

I have long been a fan and enthusiast where art is concerned.

I don't like balance. Balance is not a word you can use in Versace fashion.

Gianni created the whole thing. I came later and helped him.

I don't like my physique at all.

As with most things in my life, I believe you should try to enjoy yourself and never feel like you are a slave to a routine.

In order to be responsible, you need some discipline in your life.

Let's just say beauty inspires me. But I like all beauty -- I think it really comes from the inside out.

I'm a designer, and I work very hard at that. People sometimes want to put down fashion by saying it's frivolous or superficial, but it's not that way at all. It's actually very hard work.

You can never forget the time you're living in because the past is the past and it will never come back. So to adjust your philosophy and creativity in fashion to the time you're living in is the most important thing.

I think people need to see Prince live to really understand how remarkable he is. He has always been inspiring because he is never afraid to break rules or barriers or invent something new -- and if you love fashion, then you need to be able to do that.

When my mother did fittings for her clients, I was hiding, looking at these beautiful ladies try on these fantastic clothes. I was dreaming as a small child to try these clothes on myself.

When I meet celebrities, I have to know what they are like and only then can I design. The clothes have to fit their personality.

I don't even know what my natural colour is. Natural? What is natural? What is that? I do not believe in totally natural for women. For me, natural has something to do with vegetables.

Scent is very important. Strong fragrances suit some men, while citrus types suit others. I like my men to smell fresh and woody, but also like a man.

I like to eat. Definitely. I love sitting around a table with my friends. But I don't know how to cook anything.

In order to be responsible, you need some discipline in your life. For a while I lost mine.

You can have small moments of happiness in life. You certainly can't expect years and years of it.

In my life I had no other choice than to become a strong person.

The man of the millennium is much more liberated than the man of the '90s.

Many young people don't know what Versace represent. I want to show what makes Versace an iconic brand.

Fashion needs fresh blood, and London is the most creative place for that.

Some say the economy means that you have to persuade people to invest in clothes -- to buy less things but more expensive things. I disagree -- invest in jewelry, or a house, maybe, but not in fashion.

You can't pretend that everybody likes Versace. It would be boring. It's better to create a reaction than to create no reaction. That's dangerous.

Fashion is not frivolous.

I find older men more attractive than boys. I need a man who can teach me a thing or two.

Some men look great unshaven; others just look like they forgot to shave. Beards and mustaches can be really distinctive if you go for an earthy, rock-and-roll look like the Kings of Leon or the Killers.

I have an image of what a British gentleman looks like, and that image finds real expression in Prince Charles. He is beyond fashion -- he is an archetype of style.

A business woman needs a successful mix of design and practicality.

The suit does not represent the businessman anymore. Nor does the loud shirt represent the rock star. The same man can now wear both.

The three biggest fashion mistakes are cheap suits, shoes, and shirts. Spend your money on something good.

I love Alexander McQueen. I like the construction of his suits. I think it's fantastic.

Lady Gaga is the present and the future. She is the most revolutionary and inspirational artist. She is fearless and daring.

It would be very easy for us to do a collection that everybody would like and not criticize. But criticism is a part of life. You have to take it.

The first thing I do each morning is get out of bed and give my dog, Audrey, a hug. She's a Jack Russell. I think having an animal is a wonderful thing, particularly dogs. They are great levelers, there's no nonsense with them, and they just want simple affection.

Die and born again, die and born again. It's the story of my life.

I've learned how to appreciate what I have. And it's a lot. I'm very lucky.

Richard Avedon is a true genius of photography and one of the greatest artists of our time.

I understand that the rule of fashion is to change, even as a successful designer -- you do not want to be stuck in the same rut.

Plus-sized women shouldn't think of themselves as a size. They should think of themselves as women with rich goals in life. Size doesn't mean, really, anything. You can carry your size with pride and dress in a way that you like.

I always wear high heels -- I simply feel naked without them.

In fashion, only sexy won't go out of fashion.

On a hanger, no dress is sexy. It's just fabric on a hanger.

If I could dress anyone, I'd like to dress the Queen -- she can handle anything. I'd put her in black -- she never wears black -- and add a little leather, maybe. A little rock n' roll.

It's no good being too easily swayed by people's opinions. You have to believe in yourself.