Lauro De Marinis, the Italian pop star better known as Achille Lauro and recently appointed creative director of Dondup, has been redesigning the brand by tracing its history back to its beginnings.
Lauro has, in fact, met with the brand’s founders, Manuela Mariotti and Massimo Berloni, to hear firsthand about their original vision—with the aim of reviving and reinterpreting it through a new lens, while remaining an identity that is true to its original DNA.
The well-known Italian jeans brand, founded in Fossombrone—in the Marche region’s “Jeans Valley”—in 1999 and later acquired in 2021 by the Made in Italy Fund, a private equity fund promoted and managed by Quadrivio & Pambianco, has also become famous for its ability to flatter the female figure.
Dondup established itself as it wanted to build on this distinctive ability to flatter the female form, unlike many brands in the industry at the time that offered a one-size-fits-all jean.
“I believe that what we choose to wear every morning is more than just an outfit—it’s a tool for identity. Dondup has succeeded in transforming simple Made in Italy denim into a symbol of femininity, sensuality, and style,” said De Marinis.
Among his stylistic choices, the designer opted to feature the original Dondup logo prominently on the designs. He brought back the “Dondup Red” color to distinguish the brand’s identity and returns to the sensual vibe and sophisticated aesthetic of Dondup’s early days—to its Rock-Chic aesthetic that blended tailored style with sensuality
“I believe Dondup is still a reflection of its original founders, so for this, my first collection, I felt the need to go back to the roots,” Lauro explained.
“To do this, I wanted to meet with Dondup’s founders, listen to their story, understand the ideas that gave birth to the brand, and what Dondup still represents to them today. Starting over doesn’t mean erasing the past, but recognizing its value, preserving it, and building something new from there,” he added, emphasizing that the relaunch is taking place in collaboration with CEO Mauro Grange.
“We’re reorganizing the company with young, dynamic key figures; in May, we opened the new showroom, and we’re working on product development by researching new materials and new washes, drawing from our archive of thousands of pairs of jeans,” explained Grange.
“We want to support Lauro De Marinis in his creative vision and do our best to interpret his needs, allowing him to turn them into something tangible,” he added.