Donatella says no Italian companies were interested in buying Versace

After announcing the sale of Versace to Michael Kors Holdings Limited, Donatella Versace was inquired by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera about the decision to sell the company to an American business, rather than a fellow Italian one. Matteo Salvini, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister, reacted to the news by saying he’s “fed up” of seeing prominent Italian brands being acquired by international companies. "No Italians were interested in buying Versace", the fashion designer told the newspaper. “Versace has been approached by many people last year: French, American… But no Italians. It’s not like we’re the ones who refused to be part of an Italian group”.

However, Donatella Versace assured the newspaper that the deal with Michael Kors will lead Versace to “hire more people and bring more jobs to Italy”, which makes the controversy “groundless”.

Speaking to another Italian publication, La Repubblica, Donatella added that she is “not a control freak” and that making Versace move forward is more important than maintaining the family's ownership of the business. “Life has taught me that one must always keep looking ahead -- and moving ahead, for a brand such as Versace, means having a global platform”.