Alessandro Fiori/The Man
Mundane
Alessandro is the founder of his eponymous luxury fashion house Alessandro Fiori and its sister lines, Atelier Fiori and the ready-to-wear collections branded under Fia. An internationally recognized figure renowned for his brilliant talents as much as his hedonistic lifestyle, he has fueled an entire media empire since his sudden arrival in the fashion world in 2004 with a groundbreaking counterculture collection called Sins of Rome. Taken under the wing of the Gucci fashion empire, he fell under the celebrity spotlight. Famous models flocked to the runways to wear his opulent designs, a notable bevy of starlets and music princesses dropped his name. He staged lavish shows from Milan, Paris, and London, pulling in diverse themes ranging from Mughal India to classic Italian and French tailoring. The fashion magazines proclaimed him a genius, a tyrant, a one-hit wonder.
The constant storm of scrutiny followed him through the parties and nightclubs across Europe. Tabloids had a feeding frenzy every time he bought out a bar with a troupe of friends, his latest partner, and the beautiful people. His meteoric rise met several setbacks along the way, including an arrest for beating up a paparazzo taking snapshots of his then girlfriend, famed actress Chiara Brienza, and Brienza's tragic death in a horrific accident on a shoot in Tunisia. Media reported Fiori turned to drink and drugs, covering up depression in a string of high profile events, including fundraisers for Oxfam, AIDS awareness, and women's rights.
Gritty photographs that purported to show Fiori using heroin were published in 2007. He won a defamation lawsuit, but his vehement protests fed rampant speculation that he was spinning out of control. He continued to produce extraordinary work that pushed the envelope. Loyal models and fashion critics defended his art while questioning his lifestyle behind the scenes. It's rumoured he went through three bouts of rehab before kicking the habit in 2010. Then he did the unthinkable: he left Europe.
Alessandro received a rapturous reception from the gilded fashionistas of New York, but he crossed the continent for the sunny shores of California. The dynamic atmosphere of the rich and powerful absorbed the enfant terrible of Milan with open arms, and have been running in his wake ever since. He is a frequent benefactor of just causes, patron of the arts, restless culture-seeker on a rampage to define taste and redefine fashion to the hungry masses. On only one point is he completely unyielding almost to the point of violence; his young daughter, Nala, now enrolled in a prestigious academy for gifted academics. The paparazzi can capture this gifted style icon, they can enshrine his works or condemn his vision, but they approach his only child at their own peril.
