ANDREA ROSSO E LA 55DSL
BLUE GENES
Rather than opt for the playboy’s life, Andrea Rosso – son of the founder of Diesel – chose to follow in his father’s footsteps
Text by Lauren Cochrane
To grow up the child of a success story is a strange thing. Do you dip into daddy’s money or do you go the way of Andrea Rosso? The son of Renzo Rosso – the founder of Diesel – he has done anything but sit back and let the denim dollars flow in. Instead, he’s helped create them.
For Andrea, it was the natural progression from hanging around in the Diesel workshop as a child. “I used to go there and play with fabrics all the time,” he remembers. “When I grew up, I found myself completely involved in this business.”
Some of Andrea Rosso’s
55DSL outlets around the
world Andrea fulfilled this ambition in 2001 – taking over the reins at extreme sports-influenced line, 55DSL, aged 24. He would have been well qualified, despite the family connection. Andrea’s CV boasts all the right training – from pattern cutting studied in Padua to textile development at New York’s prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).
Despite all this roaming, Andrea – and 55DSL – are now based close to where he grew up, in a little town near Vicenza named Marostica, close to where Diesel is located. But don’t be fooled; his family life was anything but traditional. “You were always taught to open up your way of thinking, and be more flexible in your everyday life,” he says. As for lessons learnt from Papa, they’re still happening. “I learn every day from him,” says Andrea. “The first lesson is to risk, always.”
With risk-taking in his DNA, Andrea is fresh blood at the Diesel powerhouse with his work at 55DSL, and brings with him a new generation’s point of view. This is no mini-me brand. “It’s very important for us to have a different identity from Diesel,” says Andrea. 55DSL is aimed at a younger clientele, which Andrea describes as “young, active urban people who love to experiment. They are not scared to live to the fullest. That’s why our slogan is ‘live at least 55 seconds per day’.” Although he’s not sketching the T-shirts, as the creative director Andrea is a kind of in-house customer, living the brand. The autumn/winter 55DSL collection is a case in point. It was inspired by ghetto blasters and vinyl. “Street culture has been my world since I was a kid. This collection has twisted references to the late ’80s,” reveals Andrea.
Helping out were a selection of graphic artists, including collage expert Luke Insect and French block colour-loving Arthur “King” Estienne. They created special limited-edition graphics for 10.55, a project in which only 1,055 T-shirts were made of each design. “I love collaborating with artists,” raves Andrea, “I get so proud when I see the result.”
Andrea Rosso wears
one of his original designsSomething else to be proud of is the “Junior Lucky Bastard” programme. Launched in 2005, it sees two fortuitous so-and-sos hired by 55DSL to go around the world for two months filming what they see. “It started with the slogan ‘live at least 55 seconds per day’,” explains Andrea, “and I thought it could have been nice to hire some people and send them around the world.” The best footage will be shown in a video played in his stores around the world.
Ideas like this have taken him – and 55DSL – far. Under Andrea, 10 stores have opened (with three more planned) and the company has a turnover of €27m.
The next project is focused around 55DSL’s 15th anniversary. Andrea promises “cool events all around the world”, but don’t push him for details. “I can’t tell you more,” he smiles.