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Daily Inspiration Quote by Donatella Versace

"Fashion is not frivolous. I am a businesswoman, a very serious person"

About this Quote

The statement rejects the cliché that fashion is merely surface-level pleasure. It reframes clothing as an enterprise that fuses artistry with rigorous management, where ideas must survive budgets, timelines, sourcing constraints, and market scrutiny. Every garment represents a chain of decisions: fabric selection and testing, artisan labor, pattern engineering, quality control, logistics, and retail strategy. Behind a runway spectacle are margins, inventory risk, foreign exchange exposure, and contracts with factories and media. Calling it frivolous overlooks the livelihoods it supports and the capital it mobilizes, from ateliers to global supply networks.

Asserting “I am a businesswoman, a very serious person” pushes back against a persistent cultural bias that trivializes domains associated with beauty, femininity, or glamour. It claims authority not only as a creative leader but as a steward of brand equity, intellectual property, and long-term value. Seriousness in this context is not dourness; it is discipline: reading data without surrendering to it, investing in craftsmanship while managing costs, taking reputational risks with bold design while protecting the core promise of the house. The remark also challenges the stereotype that designers float above the grind. Leadership here means guiding teams, negotiating with stakeholders, and making hard calls when trends shift or markets tighten.

Fashion’s cultural weight further undercuts the charge of frivolity. Clothing codifies identity, signals belonging and dissent, and can dignify or diminish. A silhouette can amplify a social movement; a collection can set agendas in media and entertainment. With that influence comes responsibility: labor ethics, sustainability, and inclusivity are strategic imperatives, not afterthoughts. Even the famously opulent, high-voltage glamour associated with Versace requires meticulous planning; spectacle is an outcome of systems working with precision. The message is clear: beauty and boldness are not the opposite of seriousness. They are the visible tip of an iceberg of work, judgment, and accountability.

Quote Details

TopicBusiness
SourceDonatella Versace — quote: "Fashion is not frivolous. I am a businesswoman, a very serious person." (attributed). Listed on Wikiquote; primary source not given there.
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Fashion is not frivolous. I am a businesswoman, a very serious person
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About the Author

Donatella Versace

Donatella Versace (born May 2, 1955) is a Designer from Italy.

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