London is a city of inspiration for Donatella Versace

London inspires me ... it’s always a new adventure, says Versace
Donatella Versace in Milan, 2018
Getty Images

Donatella Versace says she loves London and her work is often inspired by the capital's “unique” street style.

The Versace chief designer, 62, told the Standard: “Going to London for me is like going on a new adventure every time. When I am in town I love to ‘people watch’: I look at what people are wearing, how they move and interact.

“Londoners are very good in mixing and matching and wearing whatever they feel like without constrains from society. It is a very independent and unique fashion sense, which you also find in Versace.”

She said Annabel’s was her go-to club visiting the capital, where she catches up with her A-list friends.

“I obviously love to go shopping and to visit the many London art galleries. I love the new Annabel’s in Mayfair — I even did a shoot there when it was not open yet.

“And it goes without saying that I do not miss the chance to catch up with my girls if they are in town: Naomi [Campbell], Gigi [Hadid]…"

Versace, who took over her brother Gianni’s fashion label after his death in 1997, reflected on last month’s London Fashion Week, saying her favourite pieces from the runway were created by her former protégé, rising star Christopher Kane.

“He has a great talent that he continues to show in each and every collection,” she said. “I am very proud of him – he has come a long way.”

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Next for London is a Versace residential development in Nine Elms, with work planned to finish in 2020. The 50-storey block of apartments has already sold scores of homes to rich buyers including overseas owners in the Gulf states, Hong Kong, Russia, Iran and Pakistan. It is one of many building projects for the brand, including the Palazzo Versace hotel chain.

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