Words by By Amy de Klerk
From Cannes to the Met Gala, the designer has created some of the most memorable celebrity fashion moments of the past three decades
In news that truly marks the end of an era, Donatella Versace has announced that she is stepping down from her role as creative director of the fashion house which carries her family’s name. After the tragic death of her brother (and the label’s founder) Gianni in 1997, Donatella stepped into the shoes of creative director and carried on her brother’s legacy, helping to sustain Versace as one of the world’s biggest fashion labels.
Of course, one of Versace’s biggest strengths has always been its red-carpet offering. The house, under the guidance of Donatella, has managed to create some of the most memorable celebrity fashion moments of the last 30 years. In fact, a few would even be described as historic.
Below, we round up 10 of the most memorable Versace gowns to have appeared on the red carpet during her tenure. For more information on the announcement, head here.
1. Angelina Jolie at the Academy Awards, 2012
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Angelina Jolie is one of the most devoted Versace fans. The actress has chosen to wear the label on many of her most-photographed occasions, including of course on her wedding day to Brad Pitt. One of our favourite red-carpet outings of hers was at the 2012 Academy Awards where the actress wore a strapless velvet ballgown by the house with a dramatic slit up the leg, which made headlines everywhere.
2. Jennifer Lopez at the Grammys, 2000
(Photo by Scott Gries/ Getty Images)
Perhaps one of the most famous dresses of all time is Jennifer Lopez’s Grammy Awards dress in 2000, a piece of clothing that was actually responsible for launching Google Image Search. So many people wanted to see pictures of the jungle-print, low-cut design that it led to the search engine inventing a new feature. The actress of course famously rewore the dress on the catwalk in 2019.
3. Beyoncé at the Academy Awards, 2005
(Photo by M. Von Holden/Getty Images)
When Beyoncé attended the Oscars in 2005, she made sure all eyes were on her in an impossibly elegant dress that soon became one of her most beloved red-carpet moments. The strapless velvet design featured a fitted silhouette and a slinky train – she paired it with an updo and lots of diamonds.
4. Blake Lively at the Met Gala, 2022
(Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
Blake Lively is another Versace devotee – and, in 2022, the actress worked with the house on her Met Gala look, a design inspired by the Statue of Liberty (in the theme of ‘In America: An Anthology of Fashion’) which started as a bronze gown, but was opened up on the red carpet to reveal a turquoise dress underneath. As far as dramatic red-carpet moments go, this was one of the best.
5. Amal Clooney in Cannes, 2016
(Photo by Clemens Bilan/Getty Images)
Amal Clooney is another star who has turned to Donatella for all of her biggest red-carpet moments, and while there are plenty to choose from, a favourite stands out as the lemon yellow one-shouldered gown she wore to the Cannes Film Festival in 2016. It was pure perfection.
6. Taylor Swift at the Grammys, 2016
(Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images)
Taylor Swift injected some serious colour onto the 2016 Grammy red carpet in a two-piece Versace design which has become one of her most referenced looks. The dress was made up of an orange bandeau top with a voluminous pink skirt – it was fun, colourful and very memorable.
7. Jennifer Aniston at the Academy Awards, 2015
(Photo by Dan MacMedan/GettyImages)
Jennifer Aniston is known for sticking to her red-carpet uniform, and this often includes a showstopping Versace dress. For the 2015 Oscars, the actress chose a shimmering nude gown by the house, which featured a sheer panel and a strapless neckline. It was one of her best looks ever.
8. Kim Kardashian at the Met Gala, 2018
(Photo by Rabbani and Solimene Photography/Getty Images)
For the 2018 Met Gala, Kim Kardashian wore one of Versace’s most iconic silhouettes, a gold chainmail dress. The design was a perfect fit for the theme of ‘Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination’ and was just so so Versace.
(Photo by Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images)
Kate Hudson had some truly memorable red-carpet moments in the Noughties, many courtesy of Versace, including her outing to the 2003 Academy Awards, which saw her steal the show in a gold lace gown by the house. The dress featured a subtle fishtail silhouette, a dramatic train and actually had 14-karat gold sewn into the lining.
10. Penelope Cruz at the Academy Awards, 2007
(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
Yet another Versace dress so special that it gets its own Wikipedia page. In 2007, Penelope Cruz turned to Atelier Versace, as she so often does, for her big moment, and it made for one of her most memorable looks ever – a feathered nude ballgown that will go down in fashion history.
