On Tuesday evening, at her final state dinner as first lady, Michelle Obama wore a custom-made gown by the Italian fashion house. At the same time, Donatella Versace took to her personal Instagram account to announce the release of her book, Versace.

In the wake of Ms. Obama’s poignant speech in New Hampshire on women and respect, her choice of dress made a powerful statement. Made of rose gold chainmail, it spoke of armour and female strength, protection and the need to fight for what you believe in. And it was designed by Ms. Versace, who in her new book shares her personal story of human resilience: having to take over the company founded by her brother after his murder in Miami.

Co-written with Maria Luisa Frisa and Stefano Tonchi, the book traces Ms. Versace’s life, career and triumph in transforming the aesthetic of her company from one built on the power of sex to one built on the power of self.

The book also chronicles the legacy of the house with photos by Richard Avedon, Steven Meisel and Mario Testino. It features the house’s iconic muses as well as unseen images of shows and Ms. Versace’s most recent womenswear collection, shown in Milan last month, which she described as being “all about a woman’s freedom: freedom of movement, freedom of activity, freedom to fight for their ideas, freedom to be whomever you want to be.”

Versace by Donatella Versace with Maria Luisa Frisa and Stefano Tonchi will be published November 2016 by Rizzoli New York.