Donatella Versace claims she looks the same as she did when she was 11

The designer - whose fashion partner brother Gianni was murdered in 1997 - insists she has always had a strong interest in clothing after being introduced to styling by Gianni when they were children.

She said: "Gianni was almost 10 years older than I, but he was in love with fashion. When I was about 10 or 11, Gianni started to play with me being his model. He'd try clothes on me and ask, "What do you think?" He was pushing me to do my hair lighter - to bleach it. So I was a fashion addict by the time I was 11 years old. I'd wear a miniskirt and patent-leather boots.

"I looked almost as I do now, the only difference being that I was 11. I was a very mature little girl because I was always with Gianni."

Donatella insists she "instinctively" makes sexy clothes because she views sex as an essential part of life.

She added to Interview magazine: "It comes naturally. I don't think about making sexy clothes. It's just my instinct to make them. It comes to me when I'm working. I think sex is part of life, like eating and breathing.

"Obviously you think of sexy in a different way than you did in the mid 80s or early 90s. We didn't strive to make sexy clothes then either, because you didn't want to say out loud, 'This is a sexy outfit.' You wanted to express that in either a more innocent way or a more sophisticated way. But you always want to feel sexy. You want people to look at you and say, 'Wow.' "