Tenderness and sensuality in the fashion of Elio Fiorucci The fight against taboos, veiled eroticism and the celebration of "pop" culture are the cornerstones of the celebrated Italian designer's fashion

The idea of a democratic fashion, that is, a fashion that originates among people, is not as new as one might think, but comes from a certain kind of creativity of which Elio Fiorucci is certainly a great supporter. We are talking about the 1960s, the period of "pop fashion" that was by then depopulating in England expanding throughout Europe like wildfire thanks to creatives like the very famous Mary Quant. Quant's way of working is very similar to Fiorucci's, based on researching existing garments found in the various flea markets that were then reworked and rethought according to the style of the creative on duty. While the London-based designer selected particularly carefully, Fiorucci's recovery was more transversal, being based on the idea that everything could serve as inspiration, as he provocatively put it, «I don't create, I copy.» The democratic part of his fashion was, therefore, all concentrated in this way of conceiving it as something that came from the people, rather than from above according to the idea of many of his contemporaries, such as Valentino or Yves Saint Laurent.

The Last Fiorucci

Moving closer to more contemporary times, the tendency towards provocation and the exaltation of sex appeal, as well as the need to fight against taboos of a sexual nature, are considerably attenuated in the designer's work, consistent with the different social contexts. In the 2000s, it is optimism, color, romanticism, sweetness, and a more veiled sensuality that characterize Fiorucci, who will create, precisely, the famous "Love Therapy" line characterized by the figure of a garden dwarf replacing the famous little angels. The rebellion of the past thus gives way to cuddles, tenderness, and an innocence tending toward naïf. Today, after the acquisition part of Dona Bertarelli and under the leadership of newly appointed CEO Alessandro Pisani, the brand is preparing for a relaunch during the upcoming Milan Fashion Week. «Now our mission is to revive that unmistakable playful attitude and reshape its disruptive legacy to inspire a new generation,» said Pisani, who to fulfill his promise has relied on the creative guidance of Francesca Murri, a designer with a past between Versace, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Givenchy and Ferragamo.