This celebrity fashion matchmaker is in business – WWD

Lucio Di Rosa shares nail-biting last-minute celebrity dressing stories that he could easily turn into best-selling books.

About two years ago, I worked with Sharon Stone in Monaco and walked the red carpet for the second world premiere of the James Bond movie No Time To Die.

To match the Bond vibe, Di Rosa thought a dress made of Swarovski crystal mesh would be perfect. “I made it super fit and incredibly hugged her body, but forgot to try and get her to sit,” the veteran fashion expert recalled.

She went downstairs to meet her vehicle, Prince Albert II of Monaco.

So she had to pull the passenger seat back in order to recline. At her Monte Carlo casino premiere, the movie star had to figure out how to climb the stairs. “She basically had to go up the stairs by two big security guards who grabbed her under her arm and literally lifted her up while pretending to go up the stairs,” DiRosa said. “In the end, the photos turned out really nice and she was very happy.”

Di Rosa has spent years pairing the right dress with the right brand for a celebrity event, whether it’s making a last minute change or figuring out how to fix a broken zipper in minutes. , or dealing with someone who made a last-minute decision. She is wearing her first dress of choice. (Di Rosa always comes with a backup dress.)

Now, after working for many years in an Italian fashion house, Di Rosa has started her own company. Earlier this year, he founded LDR22, his agency for strategic branding based in Monaco and Milan, to match luxury brands with celebrities and other VIPs of his.

“I decided to go independent in order to broaden the audience of people I work with and work with a variety of clients,” said actor Tessa Thompson recently on the runway front row for the Off-White label. said Di Rosa, who organized the show. Appeared at Paris Fashion Week. “I always say never stop learning about things.”

This is the latest chapter for a man who has been utterly fascinated by fashion since middle school in the Italian seaside village of Forte dei Marmi.

In particular, he fell in love with the Versace brand and everything associated with it. “I was obsessed with Versace. My dream job was to work for Versace,” DiRosa recalled in his recent Zoom interview. “I remember going through the phone book and calling Versace’s Milan exchange to hear how they answered the phone.”

Years later, after studying at the London School of Economics and Political Science, the recent graduate had an internship at Armani, processing returns at the London press office. He was then transferred to Milan to work on editorial commissions for Emporio his Armani.

Then the head of Armani’s communications department moved to Versace, taking Di Rosa with him. “She said, ‘I know this is your dream job,'” he recalls.

Shortly thereafter, Donatella Versace came into his office. “She said, ‘You must be new, aren’t you? ‘ Of course. ‘ she said. No more detours. You go next door to the VIP office.

One of his first jobs at the VIP office was helping seven actresses wear Versace gowns at the 2006 Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. “I was so scared. I had to dress like Uma Thurman, Hilary Swank who just starred in ‘Million Dollar Baby’, Salma Hayek, Jessica Alba and Madonna.” Donatella came to Oscar to check out what I was doing. ”

Di Rosa spent nearly 15 years at Versace as head of global relations for celebrities, VIPs and haute couture clients, building a strong following. “Lucio is a driving force in the world of celebrity dressing,” Donatella Versace said in her email. I have an understanding of

Di Rosa left Versace in 2019 to work for Dolce & Gabbana as head of global celebrity and VIP relationships, using his connections to bring celebrities back to the brand after a string of big failures.

Gathering the right people is part of Di Rosa’s style, combining the finesse of a diplomat with the nerves of steel of a general.

Los Angeles celebrity stylist Karla Welch is excited about his new endeavor after seeing him in action. “Lucio is not only one of the best in the industry at what he does, but he’s an amazing human being,” she wrote in an email. Sometimes it’s a testament to how much Lucio is respected and loved.”