Music
Ashley Joy Parker
LA-Based Designer Nino Cutraro Of De Florencio Brings His Futuristic Rockstar Streetwear To The Runway
- By: Brianna Rose Hewitt
- October 20, 2023
Ready to rock LAFW…
As fashion evolves, more and more creatives are invited to have a seat at the table. Historically, streetwear—originating from urban and city settings, or the streets just as the name implies—was believed to be the antithesis of runway-worthy “fashion.” However, as the cultural landscape shifts, streetwear designers are finally garnering the respect and clout they deserve and holding their own amongst their couture colleages.
One of those brands is LA’s De Florencio. Created by self-taught designer Nino Cutraro, the label describes itself as “a rockstar streetwear clothing line that merges edgy, rock-inspired aesthetics with modern, urban flair.”
It’s also caught the eye of some of today’s hot celebrities, including Machine Gun Kelly, Landon Cube, Lil Nas X, Lil Huddy, Clinton Cave and Steve Aoki.
Loop recently caught up with Cutraro ahead of his highly-anticipated Los Angeles Fashion Week show. Cutraro describes the vibe of his upcoming 14 look menswear line “futuristic rockstar streetwear,” saying, “I think it encapsulates my style as a designer, focusing on unique silhouettes, texture and intriguing design features.”
The designs will be showcased at the Art Hearts Fashion LAFW event series, a huge feat for the brand as Cutraro has only been sewing since 2020. It’s the perfect platform for the De Florencio brand to showcase its art, as the city itself serves as a major inspiration.
“When I really think about it, Los Angeles is the catalyst to my brand,’ he tells Loop. “At the core, LA cultivates the style, attitude and confidence my brand exudes. It’s a place where people dress how they want and express their personal style with no guidelines, judgment or boundaries.”
He continued, “I love living in a city that embraces creatives and individuality. From the skaters in Venice beach to the Glam rockers on the sunset strip, LA is the ultimate melting pot of styles.”
Check out the rest of our exclusive interview with Curato below.
Loop: Can you walk us through the process of designing one of your pieces?
Nino: My design process varies depending on my mood. Sometimes I have an idea and I sketch out everything I want to do before executing, other times I just get super inspired and start freestyling what I want to do on the spot. I get really inspired by fabrics and can usually visualize exactly what I want to make when I see a fabric I like, so sourcing all my fabric in the fashion district is a super important part of my design process. I guess my process is super random most of the time, but that’s what i like about it. Seeing a vision and not overthinking it is essential, it has to feel fluid…thats how I make my best work.
You are a self taught designer. What would you say the biggest challenge in your journey has been?
It may seem obvious, but the biggest challenge being a self taught designer was learning how to sew. Sewing is the root of any good designer and to truly understand the craft, you have to understand how things are made, down to every thread. I have only been sewing since 2020, but it was something I became obsessed with and ultimately consumed my life. My work ethic is really the driving force to my brand, and I stand by four basic principles when it comes to my work: time, dedication, patience and practice. These things are absolutely essential in learning how to make your own clothes and find your identity in your work. I personally don’t understand designers who design and don’t sew, it’s like being a Chef who doesn’t know how to cook their own food.
You have had some amazing clients including Machine Gun Kelly and Steve Aioki, do you have a favorite celebrity project you’ve worked on? Anyone you are dying to dress?
All of my more famous clients relationships have been introduced super organically, meaning I’ve never gone out of my way to go after celebrities, they just seem to find me when all the stars align. MGK was really cool because he just casually walked up to my booth while doing a pop up and bought a bunch of pieces. Steve Aoki was also really dope. A stylist reached out to me for music video pulls and got my outfits placed in two of Steve’s music videos and he ended up buying the pieces because he loved them so much. As far as people I want to dress, I grew up drumming in bands so I think Travis Barker would be super rad…also I’m a huge Future fan, so Id love to work with him.
How do you want people to feel when they wear your clothes?
When people wear my clothes, I want them to feel like the best dressed person in the room. I pride myself on making statement pieces, so when a person walks in the room wearing my brand, I want heads to turn and everyone ask “Where did you get that?!“. My motto is to always be unique, so I love instilling that attitude into my work.
Launch the slideshow below to see some of some standout looks from De Florencio and shop the latest collection on deflorencio.com.
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Beauty + Fashion
Ashley Joy Parker
