Caption 1: Renzo Rosso, wearing his own clothes, shows the two initials he has tattooed on his fingers. The Bravest One

He is the president of Only the Brave, where he runs brands like , Margiela and . He says that he is a little crazy and has been creating fashion for over 30 years. Here with us, Renzo Rosso, the last wild man in the industry

Photographs Mónica Suárez de Tangil

Text: Daniel Borrás

None of the great creators, none, has practiced provocation to reach the top. That's because provocation derives from scandal, a Greek word that means "a trap you fall into." Can anyone imagine Salinger or Rothko setting out traps for people to fall into? So it would be too easy to say that Renzo Rosso (Brugine, Italy, 1955) has built his empire through flashy ads and risky strategies. Out of shortcuts and snares. No one has that much luck that many times. Renzo arrives with his nettle eyes and heavy eyelids, his hair matted and that impression of indeterminate age. He serves white wine. "Wine comes in at the mouth, and love comes in at the eye; that’s all we shall know for truth," wrote Irish poet W. B. Yeats. It's Diesel wine; he makes it. In small batches. "It's 100% Chardonnay—its good, right?" Very. Fuel for a better life.

You have been in the industry for over 30 years; I imagine it has changed a lot...

Fashion has changed every season since I started. It is not something exceptional happening now. Right now social networking sites are what is driving change in the industry. They force you to reinvent how you communicate, what you are, even how you sell the collection. Now everyone is talking about see it buy it, but I don't think we're headed in this direction. Everything depends on who you are. If you are a high fashion brand you can't; you have to take into account the manufacturing, changes in fabrics and colors, fitting...

It's impossible. If you do it, you lose creativity. You can do it if you're a very commercial brand. Then everything is different. 's collection was presented at a party, not at a fashion show. That way you can invite people, reach the final purchaser directly. I think that is how fashion will be split in the future. It is a difficult movement to stop.

And what effect do social networks have exactly? Being on them is the only option today. Who is the main opinion leader today? Undoubtedly the most important is Kim Kardashian; she has 78 million followers. If she puts on an article of clothing and shows it on Instagram, it's going to sell.

That's how it works. And videos are essential. I'll give you an example: on my Instagram, if I upload a photo, it gets 200 likes. If I upload a video it's in the thousands. And I'm on Snapchat too! It's not a trivial thing; you share who you are, what you do... and the followers choose; they decide who they trust. It's a big responsibility.

What role do online sales play in all of this?

It's fundamental. Sales in shops go down and down. For every brand in the world, not just for me. The only way to grow is online. Buying online is comfortable; it is everything. Whatever it is, you're in bed, you see it and if you like it, you order it. You can buy things, try them on, and if you don't like them, you return them. It's a fantastic service; it's completely solid. It will become more and more important in the future. And physical stores, of course, will in a way be less important, but they will become something like an experience, to show who you are as a brand in full. They won't be big stores but special spaces.

Diesel is Only the Brave's first and biggest brand. How has it evolved? What kind of people purchase Diesel today?

That's a good question. We started as a young and cool brand, but little by little the customer has changed because fashion has changed. The population changes; today there are couples with a large age difference, for example. The way of living has changed a lot. Before, the target was very concise and now it's much larger. I sincerely believe that for a time we lost some of our initial charm. When we weren't so on top of the brand. I was focused on making the group grow, on establishing the business. And Diesel was orphaned. ¿Who is the main opinion leader today? Undoubtedly Kim Kardashian. She has 78 million followers on Instagram. That's how it works

Orphaned from me, we could say. So I chose , Diesel's artistic director since 2013, to restart everything. Now I think it has started working again. The ads are working—Diesel advertises on social networks like Grindr and Pornhub, something completely new—and the brand will be very important in the future. The reason? Luxury, the great and real luxury, is beginning to go down. It has lost credibility; it's too expensive... People are not comfortable in it. Not as comfortable as in things from the casual market. The clothing we are making, with quality, is something you can wear every day. And for this new way of living, in which you can wear the same thing to the bar, the restaurant and to the club or discotheque, needing something for the entire day, we will be very important.

Nicola Formichetti once told me that you are even crazier than he is... It is true. I am the entrepreneur. I am crazier because I take on the risk. I put everything on my back. In this sense, yes, I am crazier than he is. Sometimes people are crazy but do not have the ability to invest... and it is easier for them. I have made many complicated decisions in my life, tons of them. I established a way of life.

"Don't miss the cake," Renzo says at the end of the meal. He likes to talk about food. And the cherry fields that surround Only the Brave's offices in . "I think that luxury is eating well," he pronounces. "Before luxury was an outward display. Now it is taking care of yourself on the inside." Indeed, he orders an asparagus salad. Thus, between courses, the conversation turns to , perhaps the most peculiar and controversial of his list, now with John Galliano at the helm.

How did everything start with John Galliano?

I went after him like a madman for a long time. I met with him many times before hiring him. I always asked him, "What would you like to do; what are you thinking about?" But I understood his personal situation and I did not want to put pressure on him. I was only feeling him out. But at a certain point I said to him, "We have to do something together." I told him that he would be my choice for Margiela and he said, "I don't know." I took him to the maison building one Saturday night and then I had my response. "I want to work for you alone," he told me. And we began to speak seriously about our visions of the brand. From the beginning I told him that he had to interpret it in his own way, not mine. It was something like, "I don't want you to do what Martin has already done; I want what you think you need to do in this place." And I think that it is starting to work. He is completely free and Martin is very happy about his arrival.

But Margiela has a very definite, iconic image. Did you not set any limits?

I did not set limits. Not in creativity. John and I share a meal every month, and we put things together. We talk about everything, about how it is going... but creatively he is free. Of course we talk about supermacro things, the scope of the company, if we need something younger, or more dresses... but about the creative process, no. There his vision is king. I am very happy with the decision and I think that the reality of Margiela is beginning now, that it is when we are really going to see how beautiful it can become. is very happy about John Galliano's arrival. The transition is complete; from here on out we are going to enjoy ourselves

We are going to enjoy ourselves. A shift like this requires a transition period but I think that it is now complete. What I am seeing lately is verrrrry modern. If you look at his last collection you realize immediately that it is one of the few truly unique ones of the many being shown. Each dress is special; you touch it and... it is not one more dress within a collection. No, no. It is really something great. I have worked with great designers, but without a doubt John is different. I am curious to know what Margiela is like...

Martin? He is one of the easiest people I have met in my life. If there was a problem, he came and in 30 minutes he had a solution. He is extremely intelligent, down to earth, always positive. He never got in fights; he was never mad. When a fashion show was over and we went backstage, you would expect to see a lot of tension and nervousness. But there he was, sitting down, calm, offering you a glass of wine.

Is it true that you also tried to buy Valentino?

Yes. I even made a bigger offer. The royal family of Qatar offered 550 million pounds and I went up to 700. A little more. But they had exclusive rights and it happened quickly. Lucky for them, because Valentino is the most iconic Italian brand we have. I would have liked to acquire it. Buy another one? Aaahh yes, why not? We have very good brands on the table, but we must choose which ones we will need in the future.

Did you ever think that you were going to go so far?

No, never, never. I wanted to end up having a 50-million-euro company and that was enough; that was my dream. I always wanted to make beautiful things and for them to make me happy, but money never drove me. I do things even when I do not know if they are going to work. I seek perfection. An example, Margiela. I lost money for ten years. I could have done it in another way, squeezed the brand and made money... but out of respect for what Martin had done with the brand, I was there and I safeguarded the style of the maison. And then there is Marni, which I love. What they are doing is fresh; it is incredible. I am very pleased.

Renzo receives a text message. It is from his mother, now in her nineties, who has sent him a photo. He shows it without hesitation. His naturalness is surprising. Honesty is a brave thing. "I'm not any kind of genius; I am part of a team that makes brave decisions. And those are the people who are worth it because making brave decisions is very difficult. When you do so, you earn respect." My respect, Mr. Rosso.

Daniel Borrás