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WATCH: The Gay-Centric Fashion Palace That Shocked NYC

WATCH: The Gay-Centric Fashion Palace That Shocked NYC

Fiorucci

Recently-deceased designer Elio Fiorucci was much-loved for his disco-era fashions, as well as his free-wheeling stores, which served as incubators for Andy Warhol, Klaus Nomi, and Marc Jacobs.

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Elio-fiorucci-x400_0Italian fashion designer Elio Fiorucci (left) died on Monday in Milan at age 80. He's being remembered for his flamboyant fashions -- like his line of "safety jeans" and his body-hugging club wear -- but Fiorucci was also beloved for his infamous stores in London, Milan, and New York.

The flagship shops were innovators, turning stores into nightclub-esque destinations, with DJs, dancers, and a motley crew of celebrities. You can see Fiorucci's influence today in brands as diverse as Abercrombie & Fitch and Uniqlo.

The New York Fiorucci store attracted a young Madonna, and Jackie Kennedy during her days as a publishing executive. Andy Warhol was a fan, as well as German avant garde artist Klaus Nomi. Drag legend Joey Arias even worked at the New York store, which opened in 1976 and quickly became a legend on the East Coast.

"When I was 15, instead of going to sleepaway camp I spent the whole summer hanging out in the store," out designer Marc Jacobs told The New York Times. "I had this wide-eyed glamour about these beautiful young people that globetrotted from club to club dressing in these fabulous clothes. It was like a living, breathing fashion show that I wanted so much to be a part of."

With all these characters, and live-out-loud gay folks, Fiorucci's scandalized the public. See how people reacted to the wild scene below.

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Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.
Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.