Italian fashion designer Elio Fiorucci (left) died on Monday in Milan at age 80. He's being remembered for his flamboyant fashions -- like his line of "safety jeans" and his body-hugging club wear -- but Fiorucci was also beloved for his infamous stores in London, Milan, and New York.
The flagship shops were innovators, turning stores into nightclub-esque destinations, with DJs, dancers, and a motley crew of celebrities. You can see Fiorucci's influence today in brands as diverse as Abercrombie & Fitch and Uniqlo.
The New York Fiorucci store attracted a young Madonna, and Jackie Kennedy during her days as a publishing executive. Andy Warhol was a fan, as well as German avant garde artist Klaus Nomi. Drag legend Joey Arias even worked at the New York store, which opened in 1976 and quickly became a legend on the East Coast.
"When I was 15, instead of going to sleepaway camp I spent the whole summer hanging out in the store," out designer Marc Jacobs told The New York Times. "I had this wide-eyed glamour about these beautiful young people that globetrotted from club to club dressing in these fabulous clothes. It was like a living, breathing fashion show that I wanted so much to be a part of."
With all these characters, and live-out-loud gay folks, Fiorucci's scandalized the public. See how people reacted to the wild scene below.
