Lucio Di Rosa’s bold showroom concept opens in Los Angeles, Milan

Lucio Di Rosa has unveiled LDR22, his new home in Milan, the second after the one he opened in Los Angeles in July. A combination of store, showroom and agency – of a new kind. A warm, exclusive space created by Di Rosa to promote luxury labels to VIPs. Di Rosa, 43, uber-popular with celebrities and much sought-after by top labels, decided to go solo after a 20-year-plus career in luxury, with stints at Armani, Versace, Elie Saab and Dolce & Gabbana. He has spoken to FashionNetwork.com about his career and strategy.

“In my 20-year career, I have noticed that the way labels communicate with and about the celebrities they dress is totally inadequate. There are no guidelines, and often no connection is forged between the celebrity, the designer and the label. I also noticed a big difference between the USA and Europe. Labels have failed to understand that they need to create preferential connections,” said Di Rosa during a preview visit to his Milanese showroom, which will open on Monday December 4.
 
LDR22 consists of seven rooms extending over 700 square metres, on the ground floor of Palazzo Meli Lupi di Soragna, an 18th century mansion located at the end of a quiet street in the heart of Milan. The premises, featuring a fresco in the main living room and marquetry floors, occupy a wing of the palazzo, previously home to an art gallery. Besides the main entrance, the building also opens onto a courtyard, where celebrities can be discreetly picked up by their drivers.

“A place like this, specifically dedicated to this type of service, simply didn’t exist. Usually, [celebrities] shuttle between store and hotel laden with boxes. Here, as I did in Los Angeles, I wanted to create a residence where I can host celebrities as though we were at home. This showroom has nothing to do with standard communication agencies,” said Di Rosa, who has no qualms about cooking a pasta dish for his guests, much appreciated by the likes of Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, Helen Mirren and Sharon Stone. LDR22 also has a dining room, alongside three living rooms, where the products of the labels on offer are displayed according to style and category (classic, young and contemporary, and evening wear). Di Rosa’s Californian address in West Hollywood also features a swimming pool and garden.

To add an even more personal touch, Di Rosa has furnished LDR22 with his own furniture and design objects, “each of them linked to a story, a trip or a memory,” taking them straight from his nearby home. For the wallpaper and reception room, he has partnered with Fornasetti, a Milanese luxury artistic design brand. LDR22 is entirely self-financed by Di Rosa. He decided to go ahead in October, and the showroom was completed in under two months. Every little detail has been carefully curated to create an atmosphere that is both confidential and sophisticated.

Di Rosa has selected a number of attractive emerging labels, a dozen at most per showroom, to which he can contribute his know-how, showcasing their products to celebrities and providing bespoke consulting services on brand communication, content creation for social media, and business strategy. “I’ve never paid a celebrity to wear a product. The secret is to create a trusting relationship with celebrities, a long-term one that makes it possible to build a specific community for each label,” said Di Rosa.
 
Di Rosa was born in Forte dei Marmi, Tuscany, and lives between Milan, Los Angeles, London and Monte Carlo. He studied at the London School of Economics, and began his career with an internship at Armani’s press office. When his contract with Dolce & Gabbana expired in December 2022, he decided to set up independently.

Six months later, he opened his first showroom in Los Angeles, where his client labels are Tod’s, Georgian footwear brand Mach & Mach, the label by Dubai-based Egyptian designer Marmar Halim, Indian designer Rahul Mishra, emerging Italian labels Des Phemmes, The Attico and Taller Marmo, as well as two Milanese five-star hotels, the Mandarin Oriental and Palazzo Parigi.

“After opening in the USA, I realised that I needed a branch in Europe too. I initially thought about London, but I gave up because of Brexit, it was too complicated. I struggled to choose between Paris and Milan, but my clients prefer the latter. I’m going to start here with Tod’s and US label Retrofête, which is keen to expand in Europe,” said Di Rosa.

“Celebrities are an amazing visibility vehicle for labels. A stand-out red-carpet outfit can run for months on social media, proving much more profitable than an advertising campaign,” he concluded.