When Gianni began working under esteemed designers in Milan, Donatella, who studied languages at the University of Florence and earned a degree in Literary Studies, would visit her brother in the country’s fashion capital. He even inspired her to dye her now-signature blonde hair when she was 11 to look like the Italian singer, Patty Pravo. Despite their nine-year age gap, Gianni and Donatella would party together, and Gianni would give his sister fashion advice.

Their mother, Francesca, was a dressmaker, and it’s reported that Gianni would often work in her shop. They have an older brother, Santo (who would go on to be president of the Versace company) and a sister, Tina, who died at age 12 from a tetanus infection. Gianni and Donatella were born in Reggio Calabria in southern Italy.

25 years after that tragic day, his legacy still lives on, thanks to the thread that has weaved the house of Versace together since the beginning - family. Or, sadly, one might picture the caution tape outside Gianni’s Miami mansion when he was murdered in 1997 at 50 years old by a “spree killer” that rattled the world. One might think of its current face and creative director of the brand, Gianni’s sister Donatella Versace. When one thinks of Versace, one might think of the supermodel-filled runways during founder Gianni Versace’s heyday in the ‘90s. (Photo by © Stephanie Maze/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images) Fashion designer Donatella Versace and her brother Gianni sit among the artworks they have collected in their home in Milan.

Carla bruni versace 1992