Forget friendly competition – it seems that real friends in the fashion world will do all they can in order to help promote each other , including starring in a campaign for a competing label . Versace designer Donatella Versace , 59 , is set to appear in a new ad campaign not for her own brand , but for rival design house Givenchy . Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci , 40 , revealed the surprising pick for his fall-winter campaign on Instagram yesterday , posting a black and white photo of himself and Donatella , who he described as his ‘ ultimate icon ’ . Double the designer power : Versace designer Donatella Versace appears in a photo with Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy 's new ad campaign . 'So proud and honored to introduce my new ultimate icon : Donatella Versace ... FW15 Givenchy Family Campaign [ sic ] , ' he wrote , while promising that more images from the campaign will be unveiled soon . Donatella re-posted the snap on her own account , captioning it : 'For my talented friend Riccardo . Together we break fashion boundaries today ! ' 'You made my day unforgettable , ' she continued in another post , thanking Riccardo and the shoot 's photographers , Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott . Fashionable friends : Donatella , left , and Riccardo , second from left , are longtime friends ; they are pictured here with Franca Sozzani , second from right , and Naomi Campbell , right . Big name in the business : Donatella regularly appears in ads for her own design house , Versace , but this is the first time she is modeling for another designer . Casting Donatella in the campaign is without a doubt an unusual choice - both high-fashion brands attract similar clientele , including celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Zoe Saldana - but the designers have actually been friends for years , since first meeting at a Vogue Italia dinner a decade ago . In fact , Donatella interviewed Riccardo for Interview Magazine in 2011 , telling him she found his most recent collection at the time to be 'very beautiful - super sexy ' before adding that she would 'wear all of it ' . That did n't surprise Riccardo , as the designer explained that he was 'obsessed ' with Versace as a child and is still inspired by the brand 's designs . 'Donatella , you are so much of a Givenchy woman ! ' he told her . ' I would really love to see you dressed in Givenchy . ' Backstage BFFs : Riccardo posted this photo of himself with Donatella during Paris Haute Couture Week . Both Givenchy and Versace have many celebrity fans ; Donatella is pictured here with Versace lovers Kate Hudson , left , and Goldie Hawn , right , at Paris Fashion Week this year . Riccardo has more recently proved that he is a fan of Donatella 's work as well . At Paris Haute Couture Week earlier this year , the Givenchy designer posted a picture of the pair together backstage and referred to Donatella as a 'couture queen ' in the photo 's caption . Now , Donatella is returning the complement by lending her face to his Givenchy ads . 'You are one of the most talented designers there , ' she told him in 2011 . 'What you and I have in common , Donatella , [ is ] that careful balance , ' he said , referring to their joint ability to push boundaries without becoming vulgar . Now the pair will have Givenchy 's fall-winter campaign in common too .
Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci , 40 , announced that Donatella , 59 , will appear in his new ad campaign . The top designers work for competing fashion brands , but they are good friends in real life . Riccardo once told Donatella he would love to see her dressed in Givenchy .