The recent death of Italian press officer extraordinaire Enrico Lucherini on 28 July 2025 marks the end of a remarkable life and career. Born in 1932 and beginning his career in the ‘dolce vita’ era, Lucherini perfected the publicity stunt; the Italian colloquial term ‘lucherinata’ was coined to describe his attention seeking scenarios. The 1985 publicity campaign for Sotto il Vestito Niente (Nothing Underneath) was a typically delicious example of his dark arts, playing the Italian press and fashion industries against each other to his own advantage. The film has been well covered, but only a fraction of that coverage forefronts and contextualises the fashion; despite its driving role in the plot. To celebrate the work of Lucherini, here’s a deeper look at the fashion of Sotto Il Vestito Niente and the media campaign he helmed through eighties Milan.
Giallo is a somewhat disputed term, but for our purposes here it refers to the stylised visuals-focused Italian thrillers of the sixties, seventies and eighties. Black gloves, leather trench coats and phenomenal interiors are a few of my favourite things that reliably feature in Giallo films. Although the genre itself is steeped in a glossy style that makes it a natural vehicle for fashion driven plots only a few are fashion industry specific, the most well known being Blood and Black Lace.
Sotto il Vestito Niente was originally based on the 1983 book by the same title, penned by Marco Parma. Parma was the nom de plume of Paolo Pietrini; a prolific journalist and editor. Known for reviving Amica, he helmed multiple publications and was briefly at Conde Nast, at Vogue Italia working under Franca Sozzani and launching the Italian Vanity Fair. His insider knowledge and liberal use of fact with juicy allegations drove speculation into Parma’s identity, which would be revealed a decade later.
Combining thinly veiled characters with real-life celebrities, the novel was a dark and salacious portrayal of the fashion industry, filled with crime, narcissism and cocaine dusted debauchery. Three of the unsavoury characters are fashion designers (called stilista in Italy); two clashing titans known as the ‘Duke’ and the ‘Zar’, plus a third, Anassagora, all of whom seem to be modelled on variations of Gianni Versace, Giorgio Armani, and Gianfranco Ferre. It’s important to consider context; Italy and Milan’s role in particular as a global fashion hub had grown astronomically during the seventies and was still on the rise. It was a huge business and ‘Parma’ wrote that ‘the fashion empire was funded and expanded by the black money of crime’
Milan’s fashion world was scandalised by the book, and Pietroni was told by Armani that if it were him who wrote the book he’d never forgive him. Gianni and Donatella Versace were apparently not bothered or very forgiving. In 1993 Donatella and Gianni Versace published South Bank Stories, a photo book featuring essays by….Marco Parma!
The filmmaking rights were purchased by producer Achille Manzotti, who initially approached Michelangelo Antonioni to direct. Drawn by the opportunity to engage with the fashion world, Antonioni began planning a visual film focusing heavily on style and fashion. Charlotte Rampling and Terence Stamp were due to star. This was not the film that was made. How the film came to be in the hands of Carlo and Enrico Vanzina has contested versions. Everyone involved with Sotto il Vestito Niente, from the novel to the film is incredibly petty and vindictive; each account of any event rivalling the plot itself for salaciousness. One version is that Antonioni was stymied by the condemnation of the fashion industry and their refusal to cooperate. Rather than offend them, he quit. The second (and more feasible explanation) was that he had a stroke. Antonioni had a severe stroke in 1985, from which he never fully recovered. However, the Vanzinas had discussed taking the film over in December of 1984.
Pietroni described a reworked final scene Antonioni had storyboarded as ‘A Homeric finale, with the two rival designers clashing to the death like Hector and Achilles. Each with his own entourage of models, Amazon warriors…I thought Antonioni’s reinterpretation was brilliant.’ Sadly, this didn’t happen. The third reason given by Pietroni himself is that a powerful fashion industry insider paid Manzotti 250 million lire to ensure any mention of male homosexuality was expunged from the film.
Whatever the true reason, Antonioni was out, and Carlo and Enrico Vanzina were signed on to direct, with Franco Ferrini rewriting the script. Everything to do with the book, except the title and the fashion setting, was discarded. Whether Pietroni’s claim is true, the film has no gay male designers or any fashion designers at all. It also had no support from the fashion industry. Unsurprisingly, this presented challenges when making a movie about fashion. Manzotti unleashed his frustrations in the 13 July issue of Panorama, openly criticising the designers who had declined to collaborate or loan garments, including Versace, Armani, Krizia and Trussardi. ‘I had to rent the furs and I even had to buy the underwear!’
Behind the scenes footage of the fur shoot
The Vanzina’s background was in comedy and teenage films, and they decided to foreground the crime plot rather than visuals. Once you are aware of this, it becomes pretty clear in watching. Intended as an homage to Brian de Palma, the filming is sadly pedestrian. There are plenty of things being filmed that are beautiful (people, clothing, and interiors), but the cinematography itself lacks the striking visuality of Argento or Bava. But what is does have is Franco Moschino.
In his early thirties, he had just launched his own line, Moschino Couture, in 1983. He had started at Versace doing illustrations and designing for the ‘Genny’ line before designing for Cadette. Moschino quickly made a name for himself: ‘court-jester, enfant terrible and provocateur. He called himself a painter and ‘fashion philosopher’. His witty work was playful without sacrificing quality and could seamlessly be worn today. He combined elements of Marcel Duchamp and Andy Warhol’s art and Stephen Sprouse’s luxury street wear. His irreverent attitude meant he was happy to participate in the film. In the same Panorama article, Manzotti recounts how Moschino told him, ‘I’m a protestor and go against the grain. If the others don’t want to do it, then I do’.
The runway show appears in the film like a glamorous oasis. One minute you’re watching Donald Pleasance eating spaghetti in a Milan Wendy’s, and the next you’re watching Pat Cleveland slinking down a runway, tearing off the iconic Holbein print skirt to the sound of Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I am what I am’. Truly a pinch me moment, and comparing Franco Moschino’s openness about his sexuality with the rumour of the homophobia surrounding production, a poignant one. A variation of the opening look was shown on Pat Cleveland in the spring 2014 show ‘For Fashion Victims Only’, which reworked some of Moschino’s most iconic looks.
show starts at minute 51.38
The runway show appears in the film like a glamorous oasis. One minute you’re watching Donald Pleasance eating spaghetti in a Milan Wendy’s and the next you’re watching Pat Cleveland slinking down a runway tearing off the iconic Holbein print skirt to the sound of Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I am what I am’. Truly a pinch me moment, and comparing Franco Moschino’s openness about his sexuality with the rumour of the homophobia surrounding production, a poignant one. A variation of the opening look was shown on Pat Cleveland in the spring 2014 show ‘For Fashion Victims only’ which reworked some of Moschino’s most iconic looks.
The segment was filmed outside of Milano Centrale in summer 1985, despite Lucherini’s claims that Nicola Trussardi had called and begged them not to film there because his last show had been staged at the station in March. The show seen in the film is an adaptation of the Moschino A/W 1985-1986 collection shown earlier in Milan. Most of the original garments are seen, and several of the film’s stars walk the runway. It follows his normal format which was two models side by side; one ‘street’ style and the other traditional. Many of the film’s cast members were professional models, including Renee Simonsen and Maria Macdonald. The backstage scenes feel chaotically accurate, and Franco Moschino himself makes a brief appearance. All of the looks worn by the cast featured in a later ad campaign. For example Renee Simonsen (Barbara) changes into the white fringe blouse halfway through the show and Maria McDonald wears the black dress with the enormous gold necklace in a runway shot. Outfits that aren’t shown in a full runway walk can all be spotted either in the backstage shots or in the periphery of the catwalk scenes.
Here’s the original show
As far as the fashion that is seen throughout the film, it’s fun and provocative rather than chic. Rachael Nisbet explores the ‘Paninari’, the youth culture movement centred in Milan that combined American preppy looks with an Italian sensibility. Labels like Fiorucci and Benetton were staples, and I suspect there’s quite a lot of Fiorucci being worn in the film.
There are three costume designers; Mario Carlini and Francesco Crivellini appear regularly working in as wardrobe in films. The third, Francesca Calissoni, has only this film to her name but was prolific elsewhere. Calissoni was a member of the Bulgari family and worked as a press officer and stylist for Versace and Trussardi. It’s possible that she and Moschino knew each other previously and that she was able to use her connections to secure garments for the film.
There is a plethora of writing about Giallo and fashion generally, and Il Sotto Vestito Niente specifically, so it’s strange this unbelievably rich segment hasn’t had more attention. It does seem to have a place in Italian culture. This was perhaps due to the clever marketing of Enrico Luchiere. The day before the film’s premiere in November 1985, he held a press conference where he lambasted the fashion industry for their lack of support, calling them provincial and self involved. Despite this, he said he hoped that after attending the premiere, they’d change their minds about the film. He reserved seats for the major fashion houses, all of which stayed empty. According to Lucherini, ‘Milan’s fashion world trembled’ upon the film’s release. Except they hadn’t boycotted the event. He never invited them, and correctly predicted their absence would be more exciting.
