Updated November 10 at 2:38 PM ET
Milan The fashion scene in Milan was shaken on Friday by news of the death of David Rehn, the new creative director of Moschino, for undisclosed reasons at the age of 46.
“There are no words to describe the pain we are experiencing at this dramatic time. Davide joined us only a few days ago, when a sudden illness took him away from us too early. We are still unable to… Believe what happened.” “With David, we were working on an ambitious project in an atmosphere of enthusiasm and optimism for the future. Even though he was with us for a very short time, David was able to make himself instantly liked and respected. Today we are left with the responsibility of continuing only what his imagination and creativity have envisioned. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends.”
Ren, who used to work at Gucci, started working at Moschino on November 1, and his first collection was set to debut fall 2024 in February during Milan Fashion Week. He succeeds Jeremy Scott, who left the brand last March after a 10-year tenure.
“Meeting with Davide was immediately beneficial,” Ferretti told WWD at the time of the appointment. “In our first conversations, I appreciated his aesthetic sensitivity and his ability to see the different levels of interpretation that Franco Moschino always brought into his creations.”
In addition, Ferretti said Ren “immediately demonstrated a very courteous and respectful approach, which reflects our company culture where values associated with family and a sense of belonging remain the foundations of our daily lives.”
Ren designed women’s collections for two decades at Gucci, eventually becoming the chief designer of womenswear, and at Moschino, he was to oversee the women’s, men’s and accessories collections.
“My dear friend, my inseparable brother, great love. What an extraordinary and unforgettable journey we had together,” wrote former Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele in a touching post on his Instagram account. “How much laughter and unbridled joy. How many irrational dreams we have followed. How we hugged each other tightly, and our hearts raced. Because not only are you one of the most talented creatives I’ve ever met. I was especially an irreplaceable part of a small, ramshackle family. Our country, which we chose to build with all the love in the world. Today, I can’t help but cry hard for you. On this rainy day when I miss you because I will miss breathing, I wish so much that I could hug you and tell you again that everything will be okay.
Upon his appointment at Moschino, Ren wrote a letter praising Michele, with whom he had worked for eight years, and who “taught me to dream bigger and pushed me forward, and helped me achieve my dreams.” Fashion, like life, is about discovering ourselves. I don’t like fashion dictating the answers – I’m more inclined to find the right question, and then the answers come in the designer’s dialogue with our audience: Fashion is by nature bespoke.
His first steps into the fashion world were with Alessandro Dell’Acqua, whom Ren described as his “first mentor and mentor in fashion,” before moving to Gucci.
“Davide’s untimely death has truly shocked me. He was a good man, as well as an excellent creative talent and proven experience, who left us too soon,” Dell’Acqua said on Friday. “I find no other words and can only express my sincere closeness to his loved ones.” “.
“We are never prepared when death comes, and even more so when it takes with it a still young man with a strong but gentle personality,” said Patrizio De Marco, former president and CEO of Gucci, and current chairman of the board. He is a shareholder at End and Autry, as well as a shareholder at Golden Goose. “He was a beautiful young man with great talent who would do great things for a prestigious brand like Moschino.”
“Dear David, life, and people, have taken us apart from each other, but you know that from that first day many years ago, I believed in you and we helped each other to ‘grow’ together,” said Frida Giannini, who worked with Ren as former creative director of Gucci. I will never forget the “Smurfette” dresses you designed for me and the laughs we shared.” “You were a kind soul, I always miss you and now even more. And I will never forget those endless steps we took when you were the only man who tearfully accompanied me to the car on our last day together…. You will always be in my heart. To you, Frida.
At the time of his appointment, Ren said: “Franco Moschino had a nickname for his design studio: la sala giochi – the playroom. This resonates deeply with me: what fashion – Italian fashion in particular, and the House of Moschino in particular – can achieve with its strength.” “It must be accomplished through a sense of play and joy. A sense of discovery and experimentation.”
In his letter, Ren shed some light on his life, which has taken him “through a voyage of discovery: After all, I was born in 1977 in Follonica, Tuscany, on the Tyrrhenian Sea, a magical body of water, according to the Greeks. In mythology, the cliffs above the Tyrrhenian It houses the four winds that Aeolus keeps.
“For some mysterious reason, I continued to draw women’s clothing,” he wrote while in high school. “However, I thought about continuing to study architecture, but attending Polimoda University in Florence gave me a feeling of absolute freedom, paving the way for a journey of creativity, which I soon discovered became my life.”
“Lifelong beer expert. General travel enthusiast. Social media buff. Zombie maven. Communicator.”