With the recent release of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story starring Darren Criss and Penélope Cruz, the name “Versace” is on the tip of everyone’s tongues. However, it turns out that we’ve been pronouncing the name wrong this entire time. In a recent 73 Questions segment with Vogue, Donatella Versace, sister to Gianni Versace and the current vice president and chief designer of the Versace Group, dropped a bombshell: pronouncing the brand’s name as “Versach-ee” is wrong. Instead, Donatella, the leading authority based on the fact that it’s her own last name, tells Vogue that it’s actually “Versach-eh.”
Honestly? I bet there are quite a few people in the fashion community who are a bit embarrassed right now. Donatella didn’t bring this faux-pas up herself. She was asked which Italian word she wishes English speakers would stop saying incorrectly, and this was the perfect answer.
She was asked some other interesting questions as she led viewers through her jaw-dropping Milan home, and some of the answers may surprise you.
What’s the song that you’re currently obsessed with? “Million Reasons.”
If you were not running Versace, how would you be spending your time? Having a nervous breakdown, probably.
What’s the best film ever made? The Shape of Water.
Leather or lace? Leather.
Silver or gold? Gold.
Is it true that you’ve worked out every day for 18 years? Yes, it’s true. Even if only for five minutes. (Now that’s commitment!)
Donatella’s life is pretty busy right now. She’s a co-chair of this year’s Met Gala, and, this past September, she debuted a collection in tribute to her late brother, Gianni Versace. During the Vogue segment, she was candid about her brother and how important he was to her. She told the interviewer, “His life inspired me” and recounted her favorite memory of the two of them backstage at his last Paris Fashion show, just before his death.
You can watch the full segment and get an inside look into the fashion icon’s house down below.