Darren Meets Donatella!
(UK Sneak Magazine, July)
(Thanks Choc for sharing this)
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Photo file:
Who? Darren Hayes and fashion legend Donatella Versace
The event? A swanky Versace fashion show
Where? Milan, Italy
When? 22nd June 2002


When Darren Hayes’ spine-tingling voice caught the attention of fashion queen Donatella Versace, it didn’t take her long to whisk him over to Italy for a swanky fashion show. “We’d never met before then,” says Darren, who was simply gob-smacked when he heard that Donatella herself had requested his company. “She flew us out there first class and even put us up in a fab hotel,” he gushes. “And she let me take my posse with me – my manager, my assistant, my hairdresser and his boyfriend.”

Darren spent four days in Italy, on what we think sounds like one long knees-up. “There was a party every night,” Darren says. “One night, there were about 200 people at this glamorous dinner and it went on till about 5am.” This extravagant meal wasn’t in some local hotel either – it was in Donatella’s “enormous mansion” and Darren had his every need catered to! “I met Boy George for the first time there and I spent the evening sat next to him,” says a starstruck Darren. “He was just so funny – he cracked everyone up.”

Donatella is a huge Darren fan, but he says: “We didn’t talk about my music, but I was told that was the reason I was invited. I guess I’m naïve about who I am. At the end of her fashion show, she walked down the runway [that’s the catwalk] and smiled at me. It felt really nice.” The Versace fashion

legend left a lasting impression on Darren – and not just ‘cos of her infamous perma-tan. “I was totally blown away by her,” he says. “You meet so many people in this industry who are fake. I thought she’d be very distant, but I was wrong. I had seen pictures of her with Madonna and Gwyneth [Paltrow] and always thought she was simply playing up to the cameras, but she isn’t.”

But Darren is tight-lipped about Donatella’s legendary orange skin. “All I’ll say is, I have no tan! I was very pale next to her, but then I’m very pale next to anyone. I think she is beautiful and that’s not just me being polite. Donatella was gentle and very feminine and she smelled and looked great. The whole thing was just so cool.”