Donatella Versace is gearing up to unveil her haute couture Atelier Versace line for the second time following an eight-year hiatus in Paris this Sunday. What’s more, it’s the first time since her brother Gianni died, that the show will be held in the city’s iconic Ritz hotel. The lavish location was the site of Gianni’s last runway show in 1997 before his death.
“It is with tremendous emotion that I return to the Ritz where I shared so many special moments with my brother,” Donatella said. And she told the Daily Telegraph revealed that the couture line was stopped shortly after Gianni’s death as it was expected not to sell. "After Gianni died all these experts kept telling me what would sell and what wouldn't. After a while I realised nobody knows,” she revealed. “He always said, you have to follow your instincts. There was no 'safe' with Gianni. He wasn't a safe person. He kept telling me not to be afraid of anything." And she also referred to the fact that the hotel is due to close on July 31 for extensive renovation following the show on July 1. "The closing of the Ritz Paris for two years represents the end of an era but also the beginning of a new one, so to be able to show Atelier Versace there one last time will be a memorable milestone."