Minimalist Maestro Romeo Gigli Reflects on His Illustrious Career

Italian designer Romeo Gigli—who established an everlasting influence on fashion for his minimalistic approach following the maximalist 1980s (tl;dr: Minimalism is still king because of Gigli)—continues to explore art and design from Riad Romeo, a boutique hotel and creative space in his home of Morocco. 

Gigli was heavily influenced during his childhood by reading, history, and travel. “If I had followed in my parents' footsteps, I would have become an antique bookseller,” he tells L’OFFICIEL. Instead, Gigli would become one of the most influential designers of the 20th century, for his pared-down designs, with an emphasis on impeccable tailoring. Gigli was only a teenager when his parents died; he traveled the world for almost a decade, and the cultures he experienced during that time, and during future travels, inspired his work. “To be honest, the most formative experiences for my career have been travel,” Gigli says. Gigli worked across the major fashion capitals of the world, including Milan, Paris, and New York. The LA Times wrote in 1987 that Gigli had changed the course of fashion with his soft looks and gentle shapes.

Riad Romeo, which features high arches, handcrafted furniture, colorful Moroccan fabrics, geometric designs, and meticulous metalwork (as detailed as Gigli’s tailoring), opened in March of last year in the Zitoun Jdid district, just a few steps from the Medina of Marrakesh. [A riad is a traditional Moroccan house or palace with an indoor garden and courtyard.] And, according to Gigli, it came with its challenges. “It was not easy to carry out the work here; [due to the heat] ]we only worked in the morning using carts pulled by donkeys, and hammers and picks. It took six months to get the rubble out of the Medina,” he says. The riad provides a unique destination for visitors as well as locals, with a bar, restaurant, and rooftop space for entertaining, and plans for staging exhibitions with local artists.

Gigli spoke to L’OFFICIEL about his career, his legacy, and the riad, and looks back on where he got started: at Studio 54, and the influence of his very fashionable parents. He also reflects on where the industry is now.

L'OFFICIEL: When did you first become interested in fashion?

ROMEO GIGLI: My mother only wore [the] French maisons, my father wore Savile Row suits, and I also wore custom-made clothes, so it was always with me. When I was 14, I lived in London and my style changed: I collected fabrics from around the world, and began to mix my stylistic references. I started working at [legendary tailor] ]Piero Dimitri in New York in 1979, with clients including the Kennedy family and the Newhouse family. I went to Studio 54, with Andy Warhol and Mick and Bianca Jagger, who asked me to try to design a women’s collection… until then I would only dress my girlfriends. So I took Asian fabrics and wrapped them to fit the model. I would style them with men’s jackets, Ibiza suede boots, and an avalanche of ethnic jewelry. The result was a shock for the press and, upon my return to Italy, a lot of companies asked me for advice. I started studying fashion by myself, I did some consulting, and when I felt ready I presented my first collection. 

L’O: You also worked in interior design? 

RG: Of course, I designed and opened the spaces for 10 Corso Como. I also curated my stores in New York and Paris; I like designing interiors and I love collecting Nordic design. I was very close to Enzo Cucchi [Italian painter] and Ettore Sottsass [Italian architect], but also to Zaha Hadid [Iraqi-British architect and artist], who loved my work.

L’O: Who influenced your taste?

RG: Cristóbal Balenciaga and Christian Dior, two designers my mom wore, but also Paul Poiret, Mies van der Rohe, and Alvar Aalto.

L’O: What do you think is missing today in fashion?

RG: When I started working, everything was focused on storytelling and personal vision. We were surrounded by designers like Claude Montana, Thierry Mugler, Vivienne Westwood, and Rei Kawakubo, Yohji Yamamoto, and Issey Miyake. Today, this [emphasis on a designer’s personal vision] is no longer the case. If we had to lock ourselves in a room with the clothes that we find on the catwalks now, without their respective labels, I challenge anyone to recognize the brands. For me, each garment must have a specific entity and soul.

L’O: How was the Riad Romeo project born?

RG: My wife and I used to come to Morocco often. It’s a special country; we often rent a riad to spend time with friends and family. So we decided to buy this riad more than 20 years ago, and one day my daughter Diletta asked me: "Do you remember the abandoned riad? Why don’t we make it a maison d'hôtes?" So I completely redesigned it, from floors, furniture, lamps, tables and seats.

L’O: For some pieces you have collaborated with artists.

RG: Yes, one of them is Jacopo Foggini, who made the terrace chairs, an installation in the stairwell, and a fountain. The last, flanked by two lamps, recalls the face of a woman: for me, it is the princess of the riad.

L’O: How would you describe the riad?

RG: The architecture is rationalist; the colors are sunny and bright: orange, blue, yellow, and gold. The finishes are in Egyptian marble with sand-colored veins and the traditional Moroccan cement tiles that I reworked with a geometric black drop for the flooring. Then I decomposed the Berber decorations, like the wood engravings that I made in macroscopic version. Each room has its own character and a different floor.

L’O: There is a parallel with Yves Saint Laurent.

RG: Yes, he spent a lot of time in Morocco, and the influence of the color in Moroccan fabrics was very strong in his collections. I can’t confine myself to one place. 

"For me, each garment must have a specific entity and soul."

L’O: What advice would you give a young Romeo Gigli?

RG: To stop worrying about fashion. I became a superstar in the industry and never expected it, because it was never my goal to carry out a revolution at all costs. I made what I thought would be nice on a friend of mine. 

L’O: How was your meeting with Alexander McQueen?

RG: It was a weird one. In 1989, when I entered the office, I found a very thin boy in the courtyard; he had a portfolio of drawings under his arm and he looked sad. He told me that he was there to meet Romeo Gigli and that an employee of mine who had evaluated his work had rejected him. At the time, there were guys in my office from all over the world, a real melting pot of cultures and fun. I told him that I was Romeo and invited him up to the office to see his work. His drawings were so much like my work; however, I liked him and he told me that he had worked at a tailor in Savile Row, so I put him to the test by having him work on a new jacket we could not finish. During the review of the garments, I used to disassemble the jacket lining to understand the architecture of the garment, and when I removed the lining to his jacket I noticed the inscription Fuck you Romeo on the inner fabric. We all laughed. 

L’O: What’s the funniest story from your career?

RG: When I did my first show in Paris, there was a standing ovation of more than 20 minutes, but I never returned for the final bow. I didn’t understand why I had to go out; my work was more important than anything else and I didn’t need the final homage. So I was out smoking and my assistants came to call me saying that the guests had invaded the backstage and kept clapping. As soon as I entered, I was attacked by a fierce meet-and-greet: my shirt was torn to shreds, so I returned to the hotel without it.