Donatella Versace is stepping back into the creative driver's seat, but this time her famous family name will not be above the door.
The designer has joined forces with REVOLVE Group to build a new fashion and beauty business that will be separate from the Versace fashion house. The project marks Donatella's biggest creative move since she stepped down as Versace's chief creative officer in March 2025.
The still-unnamed brand is expected to launch its first products in 2027. Beauty will come first, with fashion also forming part of the wider business.
Donatella Versace Is Starting Again
Donatella and REVOLVE announced the joint venture on 21 September, describing it as an independent business built around her personal creative vision. She will serve as chief creative officer and take a leading role in shaping the project's identity and products.
The move gives Donatella a fresh place to design after nearly three decades leading Versace. She took control of the creative side of the Italian fashion house after her brother Gianni Versace was killed in 1997 and remained one of the industry's best-known designers until leaving the top creative job in 2025.
Her new project will not simply be another branch of Versace. Instead, Donatella and REVOLVE say they want to build something from the ground up for younger shoppers and reflect how a new generation discovers style, experiences culture, shops, shares and connects.
Why Donatella Chose REVOLVE
REVOLVE may seem like an unusual partner for a designer so closely tied to traditional Italian luxury, but the company brings something important to the deal. It has spent years building an online shopping business aimed heavily at Millennial and Gen Z customers.
The company was founded by Michael Mente and Mike Karanikolas in 2003. REVOLVE Group now operates REVOLVE and luxury retailer FWRD, while its wider online offering encompasses about 1,600 brands. The company reported $1.23 billion (£920 million) in total revenue for 2025.
That digital reach is a major part of the new partnership. REVOLVE says the business will combine Donatella's creative experience with its technology, infrastructure and global reach.
Donatella Wants a New Voice
For Donatella, the project offers something she has not had for decades: the chance to create a major independent business outside the house founded by her brother.
'I believe creativity should be fearless, inclusive and alive in the world,' Donatella said in the announcement. She added that the partnership gives her the freedom to speak to younger people in a 'completely new and personal way' through fashion and beauty.
REVOLVE co-founder Michael Mente said the partnership gives Donatella's creative vision a new platform and the freedom to build a business from scratch. Co-founder Mike Karanikolas said the aim is to combine her creative influence with REVOLVE's technology and global reach to create something designed to last.
What Happens to Versace?
Donatella's new business does not mean the Versace fashion house is disappearing. The two projects are separate, even if her decades-long link to the Versace name will make comparisons hard to avoid.
The Versace fashion house has entered its own new chapter. Prada Group completed its acquisition of Versace from Capri Holdings on 2 December 2025 after agreeing the deal earlier that year at an enterprise value of €1.25 billion (approximately £1.072 billion or $1.4 billion). Donatella remained connected to the house as its chief brand ambassador after leaving her creative post.
That leaves Donatella in an unusual position. The designer who helped define Versace for almost 30 years can now create outside the house, while the Versace label itself moves forward under different ownership and creative leadership.
Is This the New Versace?
It is too early to know what Donatella's new label will actually look like. No official brand name, logo, prices or full product line have been revealed, and there is no evidence yet that the products will copy the style of Versace.
What is clear is that the new company will be shaped around Donatella herself rather than the history of her family's fashion house. REVOLVE calls it an independent venture reflecting her own creative vision, giving her room to build a different identity.
The biggest reveal will come when the brand finally gets a name, and its first beauty products arrive in 2027. Until then, one question will follow the project: what does Donatella Versace create when she builds a brand outside the house that defined nearly three decades of her career?
