Review of Versace Fall 2025 Ad Campaign by Creative Director Donatella Versace with Photographers Mert & Marcus with models Claudia Schiffer, Kate Moss, Kristen McMenamy, Amber Valletta, and others
In her last campaign as Chief Creative Officer, Donatella Versace turns the lens inward, not on spectacle, but on sentiment. What emerges is less a seasonal statement than a personal sign-off.
For her final campaign at the helm of Versace, Donatella Versace gathers a cast of women who defined the house’s visual language across decades. Shot by longtime collaborators Mert & Marcus and styled by Jacob K, the Fall-Winter 2025 campaign strips away theatrics in favor of intimacy. Claudia Schiffer, Kate Moss, Kristen McMenamy, Amber Valletta, and others are captured in studio portraits that remind us of fashion’s golden years— with a quietness that feels unusually reverent.
The imagery itself, with art direction by Ezra Petronio & Lana Petrusevych, immediately conjures a sense of intimacy and connection. Stripped of the usual elaborate sets and dramatic narratives often associated with Versace, the campaign opts for stark simplicity. While the collection itself offers powerful tailoring seen in precision suits, cinched waists, and femme-fatale draping– the atmosphere shifts away from the seductive bravado often synonymous with Versace. Instead, we get space: blank backgrounds, knowing gazes, and a rare sense of stillness. The campaign doesn’t chase flashiness or virality—it subtly holds a mirror up to the brand’s past. Donatella has incorporated signed copies of Mila Van Eeten, Amber Valletta, and Kate Moss’ campaign photos on the Versace instagram–furthering the sentiment of this illustrious farwell.
Versace’s greatest skill is her strategic subversion of expectations. By foregoing opulent backdrops and focusing intensely on the faces of these iconic women, Donatella achieves a powerful statement of enduring legacy and community. Strength can be found in the campaign’s ability to communicate deep-seated brand values; the indomitable spirit of the Versace woman. It could be argued that the simplicity borders on being too pared down, potentially leaving some viewers yearning for the characteristic Versace maximalism. However, the restraint might be precisely the point; it’s a deliberate shift, signaling a moment of introspection for the brand. Donatella’s message is clear: the clothes will remain; she is saying goodbye not with a bang, but with presence. In an industry often addicted to reinvention, this kind of clarity feels quietly radical.
Donatella’s final note is one of trust—not in a singular creative vision, but in the house, its icons, and its ability to carry on. The campaign is a rendered testament to her vision and the enduring relationships she has cultivated within the fashion world. The focus on these legendary models and the understated, yet commanding, clothes suggests that while the creative helm may change, the core tenets of strength, confidence, and a touch of rebellious glamour will remain. It leaves the viewer with a lasting impression of a brand deeply rooted in its heritage, yet poised for a future that, while perhaps different in its outward expression, will continue to draw from the unwavering power of its muses.
Creative Director | Donatella Versace
Photographer | Mert & Marcus
Models | Claudia Schiffer, Kate Moss, Kristen McMenamy, Amber Valletta, and others
Stylist | Jacob K