Model Doctor

(MILAN) Donatella Versace has been bitten by the McDreamy bug. The designer today officially named Patrick Dempsey, star of the hit series Grey's Anatomy, as the face of the Italian fashion house's spring men's ad campaign. And in an unprecedented move to firmly establish the identity of the Versace man, Dempsey will maintain his status as the face of the brand for two consecutive seasons.

The portfolio of images, scheduled to break in select fashion and lifestyle books in February, was photographed by Mario Testino in Los Angeles at the end of November. "Patrick represents everything that is great about this collection; he has that confidence, completely comfortable in his own skin, that is so attractive," Versace said. "He is the modern man of today and of course looks fantastic in the clothes. I'm a big fan so it was a great experience working with him because he is such a talented actor."

Dempsey is the latest in a line of famous male personalities to represent the house, following Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Marlon Brando's grandson, Tuki Brando. "I was thrilled to be asked to be the face of the Versace men's campaign," said Dempsey, whose new Disney film, Enchanted, opened to rave reviews. He'll next be seen in Made of Honor.

"It was so lovely to work with Donatella Versace, she is an iconic and inspirational woman and a wonderful person, not to mention what a pleasure it was to work with Mario Testino too, one of  the world's finest photographers," Dempsey concluded.