Dear Shaded Viewers,
My memory of Fiorucci was it was a revolution, there was nothing like it before, it was about joy, music, atmosphere and in the windows for the first time there were live performances. All kinds of people would walk by and could not help but stare. Some were over the moon, others were in the state of shock. It started in Milan but my personal experience was with the Fiorucci store in NYC. It was absolutely wild. The book Dear Elio: A Marvelous Journey into the world of Fiorucci comes out March 9th but I am very lucky to have the 400 page book in front of me right now. Franco Marabelli authored the book collaborating with Franca Soncini.
Elio Fiorucci created fashion stores in the late 60’s and they were a hot bed of creativity for generations. “Fiorucci became the destination for spending one’s free time, so much so that we used to say “What shall we do today?” “Let’s go to Fiorucci!” Franca Soncini. I can attest to that as Fiorucci opened in New York in 1976 and I still have a vivid memory of Kenny Scharf paintings at the entrance of the store, from there they found their way to the Palladium nightclub. Etched in my mind are scenes of Joey Arias and Klaus Nomi performing in the windows. Kenny Scharf’s paintings were small unframed canvases in shades of pink, green, yellow and black creating excitement at the entrance of the store.
The book is beautifully laid out and the type is the perfect size for easy reading. Personally it vividly brings back great memories and if you did not live that era for sure you will enjoy a period gone by that I doubt will ever be re-lived. Life lived before COVID 19 and all the other insanity we are experiencing right now.
I am sure Elio Fiorucci is floating on one of his iconic clouds with his signature angels and smiling down at Franco Marabelli for this wonderful tribute.
A Franco Marabelli Project in collaboration with Franca Soncini Art Director Pier Paolo Pitacco Consulting by Renata Molho
Published by Rizzoli
Later,
Diane
