Book Review: Radical Renaissance 60 – “Denim was freedom, denim was the biggest dream,” says Renzo Rosso of the early days of Diesel, the casual denim brand that he launched in 1978.

Today, Rosso stands at the helm of OTB, the alternative luxury fashion group that encompasses Diesel, Maison Margiela, Marni, Viktor&Rolf, Staff International, and Brave Kid. These companies are connected by the same streak of rebellion that has marked Rosso’s own career—a sense of going against the grain and a commitment to creation that goes above and beyond commercial restraints. Each brand embodies Rosso’s mantra, “only the brave, challenging the rules, fostering creativity,” and promotes, first and foremost, the proud label of fashion “Made in Italy.”

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Radical Renaissance 60 traces the evolution of this forward-thinking group of companies that bring humanity and philanthropy to the workplace and marry craftsmanship with industrial production. Featuring provocative photography from the most eye-catching campaigns and groundbreaking runway shows, this volume explores the worlds of design visionaries from Rosso himself to Martin Margiela, Nicola Formichetti, John Galliano, Consuelo Castiglioni, and Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, making it a must-have for any fashionista.

 

In the early 1970s, a young Renzo Rosso commandeered his mother’s sewing machine to create a pair of extravagantly flared pants. He wore them, his friends wanted them too, and a clothing pioneer was born. He co-founded Diesel in 1978 and made it an iconic brand thanks to its unique products and the innovative, provocative tone of voice of its marketing. Today he is the father of six, the president of OTB, and a Millennium Development Goals Global Leader to the United Nations, thanks to his philanthropic work with his Only The Brave Foundation.

Dan Thawley is an Australian-born journalist and editor based in Paris. He is editor in chief of A Magazine Curated By, features editor of Arena Homme Plus and the biannual Finnish fashion titleSSAW, and has contributed to numerous international fashion and culture magazines including American Vogue, Vogue Italia, Interview, i-D, and TheWall Street Journal.

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