MILAN — Lucio Di Rosa isn’t a fan of selfies and you won’t find photos of him posing with the array of celebrities he’s helped dress on the red carpet, from Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek to Hilary Swank, Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Reynolds and Dwyane Wade or Sharon Steen. “My job is working behind the scenes,” he said humbly, and his passion for and attitude towards his profession, which includes many ‘can do’ moments and sleepless nights, have contributed to his success.
“Lucio is the hardest working, most creative and genuine person in this industry,” Stone told WWD. “His long history of relationships within the fashion industry is filled with integrity and a complex understanding of fashion as a business. He is a singular one in a sea of many.”
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Nine months after launching his strategic branding agency LDR22 in Los Angeles, Di Rosa is expanding his boutique showroom concept with a new unit in Milan’s beautiful and legendary Palazzo Meli Lupi di Soragna, dating back to the 19th century.
He has carefully restored the interior and frescoed rooms, preserving the original wooden floors with beautiful graphic designs. He will cover the grand salons with works of art by Ettore Sottsass and bronze sculptures by Milo Rau from his personal collection and fill them with all things Fornasetti, from the enchanting and romantic Nuvole wallpaper, to the billowing clouds that appear on the panels are etched, into vases, plates and teacups. .
“Every detail must show the highest level of perfection and radiate luxury, but at the same time convey the idea of a welcoming home,” Di Rosa explained during a walk through the space and then into his apartment in central Milan. filled with beautiful works of art. “Extreme luxury must be perfect.”
LDR22 Milan will officially open on December 4 with a launch cocktail party planned for December 13. Di Rosa said it is responding to a market need, with many of its customers wanting a safe and private retreat away from paparazzi and nosy people. eyes, for example after a fashion show or during fitting prior to an event.
Di Rosa believes in having a European-based boutique showroom in Milan, in a specially curated space to both showcase products and offer international news agencies business consultancy and editorial capabilities, celebrity and influencer activations, event planning, talent scouting, campaign concepts and direction . and charity partnerships (the first with Save the Children).
“Luxury clothing should be displayed as such,” he said. The palazzo will also serve as a venue for hosting celebrity clients for styling requests, with a separate entrance away from the paparazzi crowds. “What celebrities want is to feel at home and enjoy themselves,” says Di Rosa, who enjoys entertaining and personally cooking for his guests.
A passionate art collector, Di Rosa plans to organize exhibitions at the palazzo, which he sees as a place of experimentation for emerging artists and academy students. He asked art consultant and curator Jessica Tanghetti, who had long worked on his own private collection, to oversee the showroom’s artistic concept.
Di Rosa’s first clients in Milan include Tod’s; Mach & Mach; Marmar Halim; Des Phemmes; Raul Mishra; The Attico; Greater Marmo; Retrofeet; the hotels Mandarin Oriental Milan and Palazzo Parigi Milan.
Recently, photos have surfaced online of Taylor Swift carrying a Tod’s bag and Anne Hathaway wearing The Attico.
Di Rosa said the Milan location was in response to a strong market demand, bridging the gap between Europe and the US
He spoke about the “art of pairing” brands with the right celebrity and vice versa, building relationships that go beyond the red carpet. “I saw there was a gap in the market and a great opportunity to open in Milan in a unique location,” he said.
Di Rosa has built a career spanning more than twenty years, starting with Giorgio Armani and moving on to Versace, Elie Saab and Dolce & Gabbana. He worked closely with brand owners and creative directors and consolidated relationships in the entertainment industry, focusing on stylists, celebrities and special projects.
“My mission is to connect established and emerging brands, both with the entertainment industry and with key international celebrities, to develop unique, tailor-made synergies in the long term,” said Di Rosa. For this reason he is called a celebrity matchmaker, who matches them with the right brands, but he underlined that it takes months to analyze the companies and ensure that there is a vision, a long-term strategy and a strong brand DNA so that the match with the celebrity is correct. “The type of dress, the woman and the event all have to go together,” he said.
“Lucio is a dream to work with. He really understands his clients and their brands,” says celebrity stylist Petra Flannery, who has worked with the likes of Emma Stone, Zoe Saldana, Amy Adams and Emilia Clarke, to name a few. “He has an innate way of connecting people. He can certainly influence a brand’s visibility, resulting in countless fashion moments. Whenever he hosts an event in one of his beautiful showrooms, he creates a buzz. People want to come because they love Lucio and know his touch is golden.”
No mission is impossible for Di Rosa, who has also had last-minute drama, such as actresses changing their minds at the last minute — sometimes switching to unfinished dresses, still with pins hidden by the folds, he said, still cringing . at the memory.
With a razor-sharp focus, he has learned to stay calm and carry on. He credits his many years of collaboration with Armani, from 2002 to 2005, and with Donatella Versace for shaping his career. From the former he says he “learned the rigor and sense of responsibility”, while at Versace, which he joined after Armani until 2019, he still marvels at the “real couture making and construction of the clothes”.
He recalled how, as a young man growing up in the Tuscan seaside resort of Forte dei Marmi, he bought his first printed Versace shirts, passionate about the brand. “I called their office and hung up, just to see how they responded,” he said with a chuckle.
He recalled enduring Donatella Versace’s first trial by fire, dressing the likes of Swank, Jessica Alba, Uma Thurman and Salma Hayek all in Versace at his first Oscars ceremony. He underlined that he has never paid an actor for product placement and has no intention of ever doing so.
He left Versace and moved to Dolce & Gabbana to help the brand after its fallout in China in 2018. He succeeded, and when 35 celebrities wore the brand at the 2022 Oscars, he felt it was the right time to move on and take on a new challenge. challenge: his own personal venture, adding his lucky number 22 to the name.
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