Versace's niece rejected

As a member of the world's biggest fashion dynasty, Francesca Versace's path to becoming a famous designer seemed sure to be smoother than most.

But despite her pedigree and direct access to some of the biggest names in the business, her dream of following in the footsteps of her late uncle Gianni has suffered an embarrassing setback - after she failed to get into one of the world's top fashion colleges.

The 19-year-old was heading to London to study at Central St Martin's College of Art and Design, which boasts Stella McCartney and John Galliano among its graduates. There, she was to be groomed for the Versace throne before heading back to Italy to join her aunt Donatella at the label's HQ in Milan.

But the college is well known for its tough entrance criteria. It seems young Miss Versace didn't meet them. When asked if she had taken up a place at Central St Martin's as planned, a unnamed tutor told the Standard: "She didn't get in." Francesca is now considering a career in fashion PR.

Rumours that she was to study at the college had spread to students, who also said she had failed to join their ranks as expected last year.

Francesca is the daughter of Santo Versace, the business brains behind the label. The Versace family are fiercely protective of the new generation, which includes Francesca's 12-year-old brother Antonio and Donatella's children Allegra, 16 - who inherited most of her murdered uncle's fortune - and Daniel, 11. The family tries to keep the youngsters from the public eye "for security reasons".

Francesca, who lives with her parents in Milan, has kept a low working profile in Italy during the last year, only seen at a few fundraising fashion shows for the Milan-based charity Convivio, where she has helped out with organisation. Yet celebrity parties are inevitably par for the course for her. While in Milan she heads the junior jet set the Italian press calls "the Baby VIPs".

With such a glittering lifestyle, it seems unlikely that the setback will cause the fashion heiress much distress, but the college denying her a place has cast doubt on her ability.

Students applying for the Central St Martin's foundation course need to submit a portfolio and attend an interview. They are expected to have at least five GCSEs and two A-levels, one being art, at grade C and above. But if Francesca found it hard to impress the tutors, she is not alone. Alison Ostach, 20, a second-year womenswear student at Central St Martin's, said: "It is certainly the most difficult school I've tried to get into. I heard she had applied and we were all thinking there was no point in her coming here anyway. She has already got so much help in the business."

Kathryn Ferguson, 20, who is in the second year of a fashion promotion course at the college, said: "Something like 5,000 people apply for each place here. I don't know what her work is like, but they were probably even harder on her because of her name. It is a huge thing for them to turn her down and it is going to give them even more of a reputation."

The college and a spokesman for Versace declined to comment.