Elio Fiorucci

Elio Fiorucci (Italian pronunciation: [ˈɛːljo fjoˈruttʃi]; 10 June 1935 – 19 July 2015) was an Italian fashion designer and the founder of the Fiorucci fashion label.

Beginning in retailing at the age of 14, he later created a fashion brand that had worldwide success during the 1970s and 1980s, including becoming a key label of the disco-scene. The retail environments he created were destinations, rather than simply places to buy clothes; his New York store was known by some as the daytime Studio 54 and gave space to artists and creatives – including Andy Warhol.

Fiorucci is credited with designing and popularising stretch jeans, and for transforming the fashion scene. Giorgio Armani described him as a revolutionary, adding: "He was always ready to take some risks to really understand his time".