Daniel Fletcher Discusses Fiorucci's "Dazzling Discoteca"-Inspired Napapijri Collaboration

Fiorucci, the irreverent Italian brand that found fame in the ’70s and ’80s with Madonna, Andy Warhol, and the crowd of Studio 54, has unveiled its upcoming collaboration with the heritage outerwear brand Napapijri.

This unlikely coupling extends Napapijri’s recent foray into the often confusing world of collaborations — having teamed up with Vans, Patta, and Martine Rose over the past two years alone. Yet, the collaboration effort from Fiorucci is anything but confusing, perfectly encapsulating the brand’s effervescent spirit. Both brands are renowned for their signatures, often gracing everything it touches, so branding is something that takes center stage for this collaboration, while Fiorucci’s knowledge of color injects a ravey ’90s edge into Napapijri’s classic silhouettes.

Speaking exclusively to HYPEBEAST, Daniel Fletcher, Menswear Artistic Director at Fiorucci, explained the collaboration in more detail:

At first glance, many would think Fiorucci and Napapijri are worlds apart. How and why have you brought the two together?

Napapijri and Fiorucci are united by their shared long-standing compassion towards their rich heritages and an insatiable drive towards exploration. Napapijri is all about exploring in nature, whilst Fiorucci is about exploring individuality and self-expression. The two coming together reflects this joint curiosity for the world we live in.

Many people that wear Fiorucci and Napapijri love the Y2K aesthetic they both subscribe to. What does this collaboration mean for Fiorucci?

The collection marries Napapijri’s technical know-how with Fiorucci’s flare and creativity. I wanted to ensure Fiorucci’s bold logos were at the forefront, whilst combining these signature graphics with Napapijri’s sporty shapes and styles. 

We created a new iteration of our classic cherubs for the collaboration which are pared back and made in monochrome silicone patches reminiscent of those found in the Napapriji archive. For me, the hero piece is the Northfarer jacket which is something extremely technical that Napapriji has spent years developing so I loved being able to do a bold Fiorucci take on it.

You’ve introduced crop tops and biker shorts to Napapirji’s world in this collaboration. Was that an easy feat, to elevate Napa’s rather subtle aesthetic with the camp, free flair of Fiorucci?

The inspiration behind this collection centers on an intrepid explorer finding themself wound up in the middle of a dazzling Discoteca. I loved the idea of some mountaineers venturing up into the aloes and discovering a wild Fiorucci party happening up there somewhere. The collection we produced is a reflection of that, they went up there in there in their subtle climbing gear and are coming back down wearing things much brighter and a bit tighter.

What do you hope this collaboration does for both of the brands?

I hope this collaboration showcases the development of Fiorucci’s modern identity, echoing the significance of always expecting the unexpected and that anything is possible.

Take a look at the Napapijri x Fiorucci collection above, and pick it up from Napapirji’s website, Orefici 11 (its flagship store in Milan), as well as in Fiorucci’s flagship store in London and online, as well as at Tessuti, from January 27.

In case you missed it, check out Virgil Abloh’s final Louis Vuitton menswear show.