Versace is arguably one of the biggest and popular household names in the fashion industry. Versace was founded in 1978 by Gianni Versace in Milan. It manufactures and deals in ready-made Upmarket Italian made leather and ready to wear accessories. However, there are other lines associated with the Versace tag also, such as Versus Versace and Versace jeans. The company logo of Versace carries the famous head of the Medusa, an infamous Greek mythological figure.

The fate of the company was drastically altered when Gianni Versace was murdered on 15th of July 1997 outside his house, the Versace Mansion, in Miami, Florida. Gianni bequeathed 50% stake of his fashion empire to his niece and Donatella Versace’s daughter,  Allegra, of which she took control as soon as she turned 18. Soon after Gianni’s murder, his sister Donatella Versace took over as Vice President, and his older brother Santos Versace became CEO of the label.

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Allegra’s Early Life

Allegra Versace Beck, more commonly known as Allegra Versace, was born on 30th of June, 1986 in the city of Milan, Italy. Since childhood, Allegra was considered to be a serious, bright and sensible girl. She attended the British School of Milan and later got herself enrolled in UCLA, where she majored in French, Art History and Theatre. She was Gianni Versace’s favorite niece.

Allegra’s privileged and sheltered childhood took a rough ride when, at the tender age of 11, she learnt that her beloved uncle had been shot dead outside his home. The incident greatly affected her, to the extent that she required counselling.

On her 18th birthday, she gained control of her 50% stake in Gianni Versace S.p.A. – with the other half of the company divided between her mother Donatella (20%) and uncle Santos (30%). One of the reasons for her 50% stake was the long-standing feud between Donatella and Santos.

Her status, as the heir to the Versace, empire radically changed her life. Gone were the days when she could freely step out of her house, ride her bike, and play on the beach. She now had bodyguards surrounding her 24×7. These restrictions reportedly led her to resent her new ‘celebrity status’.

Her early life was not all doom and gloom, however. Her teenage years were spent hanging out with pop star and  Spice Girls’ Emma Burton . She grew up taking piano lessons from none other than Sir Elton John, learned to catwalk firsthand from the likes of Naomi Campbell and was virtually a sister to Stella McCartney .

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Battle with Anorexia

Allegra has never spoken publicly about her struggle with eating disorders, as she has always been reticent about her personal life. However, in 2007, her parents Donatella Versace and Paul Beck released a statement saying, “Our daughter Allegra has been struggling with anorexia for many years. She is receiving the best medical attention possible and is responding well to the treatment methods”. Although there haven’t been any more official statements either from Allegra or from her family, she is said to be in good  health and reportedly winning her battle with Anorexia.