• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.61-78
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• 2021

Gianni Versace is one of the most influential Italian designers between the 1980s and 1990s and a representative person to add sexiness and splendour to Italian fashion. This study aimed to analyze the design identity that resulted in the successful handover to Donatella Versace and to review how effectively differentiated and unique heritage elements of Versace were transferred and operated. Literature reviews were performed to find Gianni Versace's design identity and archive. The scope of this study was Donatella's collection from 2018 to 2020. In particular, Signature, the most remarkable design identity of luxury brands with a visual identity that includes the mark, logo and symbol and design elements such as the item, colour, materials, details, etc., were the special focus. In this study, the elements of the visual identity of the signature were classified with the logo, icon, silhouette, materials, patterns, colours, and changes in details that were applied with the uniqueness and philosophy of the differentiated brand. Donatella Versace empathized with Versace's heritage as the brand heritage recalling Versace's honour in the 1990s and reproduced his honour again by reinterpretation of Versace's design images. Donatella is considered an excellent creative director who leads the brand by keeping the heritage and applying the trends of the times. This study as a case study of Versace has the meaning that Versace has maintained the brand identity starting from Gianni Versace as the first generation and successful takeover after the change of directors upon recreation to meet the modern times.