Darren Romanelli close-up in his studio

Darren Romanelli

1 collaboration

Darren Romanelli close-up in his studio

Darren Romanelli

A bonafide multi-hyphenate who finds inspiration everywhere.

“The idea of fortune telling is one that I take seriously. I’m blessed to have the vision, but it takes a lot of work to maintain it.”

Darren Romanelli is renowned in diverse and far-reaching circles for his multi-disciplinary creative output. Alongside spearheading his clothing brand DRxRomanelli and innovative marketing agency Street Virus, he is known in the art world for reinventing vintage garments. Through what he calls ‘cosmetic surgeries,’ he intuitively cuts items found in thrift stores to create playful patchwork furniture, fashion and sculpture.

Injecting fresh perspectives into the DNA of brands like Nike, Adidas and Disney, and building an ever-growing cohort of collaborators from Kendrick Lamar to Felix the Cat,...

Darren Romanelli is renowned in diverse and far-reaching circles for his multi-disciplinary creative output. Alongside spearheading his clothing brand DRxRomanelli and innovative marketing agency Street Virus, he is known in the art world for reinventing vintage garments. Through what he calls ‘cosmetic surgeries,’ he intuitively cuts items found in thrift stores to create playful patchwork furniture, fashion and sculpture.

Injecting fresh perspectives into the DNA of brands like Nike, Adidas and Disney, and building an ever-growing cohort of collaborators from Kendrick Lamar to Felix the Cat, Romanelli’s finger remains on the pulse. Reconstructions of popular brand iconography recall Andy Warhol’s experimental, commercial aesthetics — seeing Romanelli pursue his own textile pop-art phenomenon. Committed to collaboration, he draws people together much like he does garments. With ongoing initiative Pancake Epidemic, Romanelli invites creatives from various practices to commune over pancakes and ideas. In doing so he underscores the immeasurable value of human connection, noting that his method remains “anchored in experimentation and collaboration with other creatives.”

Bio

Darren Romanelli (he/him) is a California native born in 1976, currently living and working in Los Angeles.

Collaborations

He has collaborated with an eclectic cohort of brands and celebrities including Nike, Adidas, Disney, Kendrick Lamar and Black Sabbath.

Did you know?

Romanelli counts Alake Shilling as a close friend, and was an early champion of her psychedelic, emotion-baring paintings and sculptures.

Collaborations with Darren Romanelli

Exclusively on Avant Arte

  • man in baseball cap crouching down holding a cactus man action figure
    Darren Romanelli on the origins of Cactus ManModern art is great, but you have to take care of plants – right?