Achille Lauro is the new creative director of Dondup The first collection will debut at San Siro Stadium on June 15
Dondup, the brand founded in 1999 and centered around denim culture, has just announced that Achille Lauro, born Lauro De Marinis, will be the new creative director of the Made in Italy label. We will get to see his first capsule collection at San Siro Stadium on June 15, in what is already shaping up to be a true concert-event. In his new role, Lauro will lead the Dondup Style Office with the responsibility of defining and expressing the brand’s creative vision across all its product categories.
Lauro is therefore taking on a new role that could somewhat rewrite the rules of fashion in Italy. «I wanted to create something that would last. Not as a face, but as an author. Not a gesture, but a project. The beginning of a creative journey that in the coming years will influence Dondup’s image, collections, and positioning, while preserving its DNA and strengthening its identity. Elegance is not an accessory, it is an attitude, and fashion must know how to tell that story», the artist stated.
Mauro Grange, CEO of Dondup, commented: «I am truly happy that Lauro is joining our team as Dondup’s Creative Director for a long-term collaboration. Thanks to his deep artistic sensitivity and his appreciation for the heritage of our brand, I am sure he will lead the creative team with a distinctive vision, helping to write Dondup’s next chapter by enhancing its heritage and bringing great value to the brand. From the very beginning there has been a wonderful connection between the two of us, and we cannot wait to create great projects together. With Lauro De Marinis, Dondup will continue to influence fashion and culture through highly desirable collections and a unique and contemporary perspective on modern luxury».
In short, all the right conditions are there. And if Achille Lauro — whom everyone remembers for the Sanremo hit "Me ne frego" and, above all, for the looks showcased during the 70th edition of the Sanremo Festival — has by now become embedded in the collective imagination as an icon of authentic fashion, then this appointment could represent something more than just a simple creative shift. His glamorous and rock-inspired aesthetic has managed to appropriate the codes of tailoring in order to break down the idea of traditional masculinity, instead embracing a freer, more theatrical and fluid vision that represents the aesthetics and philosophy of the present day. Is this perhaps what we should expect from this new creative direction? All that remains is to wait for June 15.