Romeo Gigli's poetics of travel and culture One of the most innovative designers of the 20th century

In the Olympus of historic Italian designers, those who have defined the course of ready-to-wear and haute couture in a significant way paving the way for future generations, one can certainly find the name of Valentino, Gianfranco Ferré, Krizia, Giorgio Armani and Franco Moschino. There also happens to be the name of a creative designer who, despite being known in the industry for his splendid collections, often imitated and replicated, has not, however, received the recognition he deserved: Romeo Gigli. His career began as an architecture student, although he never completed his studies; at a very young age he began to travel for about ten years, mainly to the countries of the Far and Middle East, absorbing as much as much information he could from these distant worlds that would profoundly influence him, especially on a stylistic level. Having returned to Italy with a very rich cultural background and a collection of exceptional 'textile finds', he began working for Callaghan, the Zamasport brand for which Gianni Versace had also worked. 

The brand founded in 1983 was left by Gigli in 2004, although it continues to exist without its founder. This is just one more example of how this type of creative 'from another era', although it has proved to everyone that it is brilliant with its work and inventiveness, is not compatible with the market dynamics of contemporary fashion, which hardly accommodates such an intellectual, artistic and even story-laden vision, favouring commercial success at all costs, mind-boggling sales and global distribution. All needs far removed from Gigli's work and poetics.