Shanghai Tang’s creative director Raffaele Borriello dies in Paris

Jul 6 , 2017

Italian Paris-based designer Raffaele Borriello has passed away.

Shanghai Tang’s creative director Raffaele Borriello has died

Reports from WWD state that the creative director of Shanghai Tang, Raffaele Borriello, has died. The Italian designer passed away in Paris on July 4, 2017 due to complications during surgery.

Designer Raffaele Borriello waves on the catwalk after presenting his spring/summer 2014 ready-to-wear collection for Leonard fashion house during the Paris Fashion Week. According to media reports, Borriello, Shanghai Tang's creative director, died from complications during surgery in Paris. Photo: EPA

This week, Richemont sold Hong Kong-based dressmaker Shanghai Tang to Italian fashion entrepreneur Alessandro Bastagli and Cassia Investments.

In a 2016 interview, Borriello told STYLE about his entry into the fashion world:

“My mother is a really elegant woman, and she loves fashion. My father used to be a politician. They had a lot of social events. When I was very young, my mother [took me along] to shop for gowns and fabrics with her. I don’t know why but she expected my opinion even when I was only four years old. Some of my earliest memories were about fashion.

“But my father was really strict and told me to study law. I did law for two years in university and at the same time, [I took] classes at the fashion academy. I finally confronted my dad and told him that I would never be a lawyer. Today, he’s very happy about me becoming a fashion designer.”

UPDATE:

On July 7, Shanghai Tang released a statement that praised Borriello’s contributions to the company, and offered its condolences to his family.