No, his parents didn't name him RoccoBarocco. The well-known Italian fashion designer chose this rolling, musical name as a tribute to his love of baroque art. He tells Shalaka Paradkar about his life, loves and latest foray - setting up shop in Dubai.
The dance music bouncing off the plate glass and impossibly thin models slinking around in jersey dresses are a far cry from the rugged volcanic island of Ischia, Italy, where RoccoBarocco grew up, in the bosom of his large and loving family.
In fact, the Italian designer seems a tad uneasy at the opening of his flagship store in Dubai's Wafi Mall extension.
It could be the Dubai heat, which has turned his cherubic countenance a bright red. Yet one can sense he is a naturally happy person, full of bonhomie and good humour and mercifully sans 'designer' airs.
When RoccoBarocco speaks with you, he is eager to hear your opinion and listens with flattering attention. His replies come forth in slowly enunciated English or rapid-fire Italian, punctuated with eloquent gesticulation.
At the store opening, the 63-year old designer, who goes by the stylised single name ever since he created his eponymous label in 1977, is squeezed into three of his own creations: a sparkling, crisp white linen shirt, an impeccably tailored charcoal jacket and narrow fitting drainpipe trousers which lead down to a pair of pointy patent leather shoes.
The monochromatic ensemble goes well with the interior of the store. Done up in gleaming black and white and shot through with the diamante RoccoBarocco logo here and there, it's a paean to extreme luxury.
Although there are splashes of occasional colour, it's clear that RoccoBarocco dreams in black and white, with snazzy optical effects and psychedelic prints spicing up the mix. It is restrained chic and very sexy.
In his 47th year in the fashion business, this is RoccoBarocco's first foray into the Middle East. But Dubai is going to be seeing a lot more of this famous Italian designer.
After the women's wear store at Wafi Mall, another store will showcase his full range and is scheduled to open this September at The Walk, Jumeirah Beach Residence.
The traffic and heat may have wilted him, but the razzle dazzle of Dubai has been inspirational, he says.
While the models at the store opening are very youthful, RoccoBarocco says his clothes are for women of all ages. There is a dash amount of daring, but on the whole, it's a breezy, fun collection that's in the store. The colours are languid, aquatic and airy, mixed with gigantic prints in soft, natural fabrics.
"Roccobarocco is one of the most successful Italian brands," says Ashok Shewakramani, CEO of Neelam, who brought the designer to Dubai. "He is extremely popular in Europe, Russia and the US and definitely will be a hit in this region as well."
Shewakramani's keen business sense helped him home in on RoccoBarocco, a label that is accessible yet glamorous. Unlike the French, the Italians think fashion is not meant to be taken that seriously.
One of RoccoBarocco's most talked-about shows was held in the historic, art-filled salon of the Palazzo Doria Pamphili in downtown Rome. The 17th-century salon was lined with chairs for guests, including rock star Jon Bon Jovi and actress Gina Lollobrigida.
Strewn among the art works were what appeared to be lifeless alabaster statues. Only when the show began did the statues - mime artists - start moving, escorting the models onto the runway and mingling with guests. RoccoBarocco remembers it as great fun.
Here in Dubai, he gestures at the models to join him for a photo op, while he smiles broadly for the photographers.
More than a haute fashion designer, he seems like a jolly uncle, full of breezy charm, readily agreeing to pose for pictures and enthusiastically explaining the finer points of a pair of sunglasses or a handbag to his guests.
RoccoBarocco's creations adorn women throughout the world. He has stores in Italy, France, Japan, the US and Europe. His clothes have been showcased at exhibitions in the Louvre, Paris, and at Italian design shows the world over. To put it simply, his work encapsulates the essence of Italian design - fresh, original and breathtakingly creative.
I
I believe life is too short and we must enjoy it to the hilt at all times. And being Italian, I think we have a talent for fun and laughs. I do not take things too seriously, not even the business of fashion, and I detest pomposity.
I was christened Rocco Muscariello, but that name to my ears didn't quite have zing. Some time in the 1970s, I changed it to RoccoBarocco, which to my mind is musical, very Italian and a tribute to baroque art - which I love. I like being called Mr RoccoBarocco, not Rocco or Mr Barocco.
I have always had a very clear idea of what the RoccoBarocco woman should be: she is seductive without being vulgar, she is sexy, funny and charming. She has lovely shoulders and curves to match.
I am constantly designing. Wherever I may be - at home or travelling, awake or dreaming - I am always thinking about design. My sketchbook is a constant companion.
I love change, whether in designs or in my daily habits. So in a new place, I will eat French food at lunch and Chinese for dinner. (I also love eating, as you can see!)
When I am not designing, I love swimming in the ocean, reading books and going to the gym. I don't feel my age at all - I feel like I am 32! Perhaps that reflects in my designs as well.
ME
Me and my childhood:
I was born into a typical large Italian family, comprising five brothers and four sisters. A large family is one of the best assets you can have - it's a strong support system. Today, my brothers and sisters are my biggest fans and they love wearing my clothes.
I grew up on the volcanic island of Ischia, which is about an hour's drive (and a ferry trip) from Naples. Though I am Neapolitan by birth, my mother is from Pozzuoli and my father is from Naples.
My childhood was filled with happy memories as Ischia is a scenic place. But my childhood happened quite a while ago, so there are few things I can recall clearly! Ischia is famous for its volcanic springs and is quite a tourist destination.
From my earliest days I was enamoured by the many beautiful, glamorous women who holidayed on the island. I would make sketches for these women, many of whom were international celebrities, such as Gianna Maria Canale, Miriam Blu, Maria Callas and Anna Magnani. They praised my work quite a bit.
I went to school in Procida (an island near Ischia) and lived in a villa in Capri right in front of the island's reefs. My first step into the world of haute fashion was the lowest rung of the ladder - I worked as an errand boy at Filippo's, one of the most fashionable boutiques on the island of Ischia.
I attended Accademia delle Belle Arti, Rome, 1962. Being Italian and inspired by our country's art and crafts heritage, I wanted to be a painter. But fashion was always a passion since … perhaps since I was 16 or 17.
Me and my beginnings in fashion:
I knew that if I had to make a mark in the world of fashion, I would have to leave Ischia for Rome. So in the early 1960s, I was lucky to get to work as a sketch artist with the famous Italian designer Patrick de Barentzen in Rome.
I worked with de Barentzen for two years. He was one of the leading Italian fashion designers of his day, a big name in couture and was a contemporary of Valentino Capucci, Fontana and Forquet.
From him I learned the importance of detailing and design. And also how to challenge what is accepted and be creative, glamorous and avant-garde. That experience gave me the confidence to branch out on my own.
And I have never been risk averse by nature, it has always been my desire to improve myself, and not to tread the safe path while doing so. I joined the Monsieur Giles group to form an atelier (studio) producing high-fashion collections under the Barocco label. We disbanded it in 1974.
From Rocco Muscariello I became Rocco Barocco. And I opened my first RoccoBarocco store in Rome in 1968. I tasted success quite quickly. Rome was the capital of international fashion those days, and my avant-garde creations were embraced by the jetsetters.
One of my first customers was Countess Claretta Agusta. She was followed by other women from Rome's rich aristocratic class and several actors: Laura Antonelli, Claudia Cardinale, Stefania Sandrelli, Ursula Andress, Sandra Milo, Dalila Di Lazzaro and Marisa Laurito. Liza Minnelli became a friend as well as a customer and soon acted as fashion ambassador for my creations in the US.
Our first prêt-a-porter or alta moda line made its debut in 1978, followed by knitwear and children's lines in 1982.
Today RoccoBarocco produces ready-to-wear, jeans, knitwear, scarves, leather goods, accessories, perfume, porcelain tiles, and linens. Rome continues to be our base.
Recently I have given over the production and the distribution licence of the men's and child's lines to Marchese Coccapani.
Thanks to this partnership, RoccoBarocco should only get stronger. We are a 40-people strong company today with two offices, in Rome and Milan.
Myself
Can you describe the creative process of designing? What inspires you?
I honestly believe that my best collection is yet to come. But what has been constant is my inspiration - it has always been Italy. It's a beautiful country, where people live well and appreciate beauty.
Hence, we have such a legacy of talented artists and designers, such as Gianni Versace, Roberto Cavalli, Valentino ... it's hard to pick a favourite among these great talents, though I must confess in my own closet, Cavalli and Valentino share space with RoccoBarocco.
For the current collection, I cannot pinpoint one specific thought that triggered the creative process. Rather it's an amalgam of a lifetime's experiences that crystallise into a collection.
As a journalist, your work has a definite beginning and an end, there is a start and stop rhythm to the creative process. But as a designer, it's a cyclical process. I was in India and Japan during the design process for this 2007 collection and those travels may have influenced me.
A great idea can come anytime, you cannot pinpoint when exactly it will strike, so you have to be prepared. I like to present women who are confident, sexy and yet do not reveal too much. I am not a fan of showing off flesh.
And I am not afraid if what I create is not commercially successful. In fact, I am brave in my approach to almost anything I do - be it designing haute fashion or cooking a meal in the kitchen. I move in fearlessly and am not afraid of failure!
In many of my designs, I prefer the elemental and graphic appeal of stripes and spots. I like using fabric that is soft and flowing. But I have also used shiny, plasticky textures before, which create an indulgent, luxurious appeal.
Yet at the end of the day, fashion is a business. We were approached by several people to set up shop in Dubai. Mr Shewakramani approached me last year in Rome and I was impressed with his business plan and expertise in this field.
I then came down to Dubai, and liked what I saw. In fact, I liked it a lot. So it has been a nine-month-long process and today the first RoccoBarocco store in Dubai is born.
What would you say are the unique or distinguishing features of a RoccoBarocco creation?
Most of my designs are abstract, bold, bright, colourful and asymmetrical. I love the sparkle and sheen of diamonds, so I use crystals and shiny details quite a bit in my work. And I love using sumptuous natural fabrics that feel lovely to the wearer - fabrics like silks, cashmeres, and crepes which give an elegant silhouette.
I am not afraid of breaking the mould and experimenting with colour. Last season, I sent out models in lavender and lime shift dresses with printed leotards. I designed trenchcoat dresses in dull gold and metallic finishes. Even if I am dabbling in a masculine silhouette, I incorporate details and fabrics which flatter a woman.
This is wearable and accessible fashion; these are clothes which make a woman feel glamorous, sophisticated and ultra feminine.
I like keeping things pure and simple. Like they say, fashions may come and go, but style stays forever.