Fiorucci Designer Daniel Fletcher Reveals New Collection — and Madonna’s Surprising Connection to the Brand
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Fiorucci Artistic Director Daniel W. Fletcher celebrated the launch of his spring/summer 2023 collection last week with an intimate dinner at Ardor Terrace, inside The West Hollywood EDITION Hotel.
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Joined by guests like Troye Sivan, singer-songwriter Leland and RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Symone, Fletcher unveiled a collection of shirts, dresses, denim and accessories inspired by a specific musical reference he found as he dug into the Italian brand’s storied archives.
“Fiorucci’s history is filled with musical history, especially from the Sixties and Seventies when the brand was first founded,” Fletcher told Rolling Stone at the dinner, “and it was actually some photographs I found in the archive of Blondie’s Parallel Lines album launch party — which they held in the Beverly Hills store in 1978 — that provided a starting point for the summer collection.”
As Fletcher explains, “the store was notorious for its pumping music and wild parties with Joan Jett, Andy Warhol, KISS and Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick all hanging out there,” so there was plenty of creative energy and sartorial inspiration to draw from.
Milano Angels Knit Jumper
The inspiration reveals itself through Fiorucci’s new collection, which mixes bold graphics and contemporary cuts with retro-styled prints, a vintage color palette and the brand’s heritage monogram.
The iconic Fiorucci Angels motif also gets an update for the season, dripped across washed out sweats and silky shirts that as perfect for music festivals as they are for summer travel. Prior to the dinner party, Fletcher hosted artists and influencers at a gifting suite as they stocked up on pieces for Coachella.
Morning Rise Zip Fleece
For Fletcher, who shot to fame as the runner-up on the first season of Netflix’s Next in Fashion and was appointed Artistic Director of Fiorucci in 2019, music has always been an important part of his design DNA.
“I had an early introduction to music thanks to my dad,” the London-based designer tells Rolling Stone. “The first gig I ever went to was the Rolling Stones in Manchester with him when I was 10 years old, so it makes sense that Mick Jagger has pretty much been on every mood board I’ve ever made.”
“There’s usually a song or an album which I can connect to each season,” Fletcher continues, adding that, “it’s normally something I was listening to while I was designing the line. Every time I hear [the song] after that makes me think about a specific time and collection.”
Fiorucci Chrome Angels Sweatshirt
Fletcher says he was excited to have Sivan at the dinner, after having created a tour look for the singer a few years ago. “Everything always looks so effortless on Troye [and] it’s always a pleasure to dress him,” he gushes. (Sivan turned up to the event in Fiorucci’s laser monogram denim jacket and matching jeans).
Aside from Sivan, Fletcher says his current musical tastes run a wide gamut: “Raye and SZA are playing a lot at the moment, Max Richter if I’m feeling dramatic, Celine Dion if I want to walk somewhere fast [and] Abba if I want to sing at the top of my lungs,” he shares.
His ultimate musical inspiration: “Madonna has always been a favorite and she’s actually got a lot of history with Fiorucci,” Fletcher explains. “Her brother used to work in the New York store and he managed to convince [founder] Elio Fiorucci to let her perform at the brand’s 15th birthday party when she was totally unknown. I have the original flyer framed in my office and she’s listed at the very bottom of the bill as ‘Madonna and Dancers,’ which always makes me smile when I see it and think of how huge she is now.”
“It’s amazing,” Fletcher says, “that Fiorucci has its own small part in her story.”
The Fiorucci spring/summer 2023 collection is now available to shop online at Fiorucci.com.
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