Il Fiore is a streetwear brand that explores the parallels between spirituality, sexuality, and hallucinogenic nature. The purpose is to provoke curiosity and dialogue through surrealistic depictions of our subjective understanding on various topics throughout the journey of humankind.
Each collection focuses on a particular area in the evolution of humankind and its correlation to the fore-mentioned subjects. We are not historians or authorities of any kind in this field, but artists passionate enough about each theme to scrupulously explore its history, mythology, traditions, and interpretations.
The artwork below are not the finished pieces of clothing, but illustrations used for each pieces back. Each of which are hand rendered digitally.
The rose has been used as a symbolic image for thousands of years. It has dozens if not hundreds of interpretations, but we chose this to represent three in particular.
Spirituality: Since ancient times roses symbolized God at work in whatever situation they appear, they have long served as the symbol of the Virgin Mary and were even subject for the rosary which stands for “crown of roses.”
Sexuality: Flowers have been used as a symbol for sexual metaphor for multiple millennia.The rose specifically embodies passionate love, heart-spirit connection, and intimacy.
Hallucinogenic nature: While this may be the furthest stretch, it is connected by its roots within the Plantae kingdom which gave early hominids access to what they later called “sacred plants.” These were the root of vast amounts of psychedelic experiences that later led to form many early religions.
Man is unique by virtue of being possessed by intuitions concerning the scope of the mysterious universe he inhabits. He has devised for himself all manner of instruments to probe the nature of this universe. Now at last, with the molecule of this strange acid, he has found an instrument which opens the inner eye of the mind and which may hopefully allow him to explore the vast interior spaces where the history of millions of years of memories lie entangled among the roots of the primordial self.
Heavily influenced by environmental hallucinogenics, the Sumerian gods were deeply linked with the earth and its natural forces. Baal was the chief deity and the universal god of fertility. He was the Lord of the Earth, the Lord of the Rain and Dew.
Baal is often symbolized with the depiction of a bull. But here we portray his horns in a chromatic spectrum while bending them to accentuate a visual divergence akin to surreal vision, enhancing its existing sexual and fertile nature. Visually complimenting his distinct charisma and the visions that gave him life.
One Japanese or Chinese legend tells the story of a koi climbing a waterfall on the Yellow River toward the Dragon's Gate at the top of the falls. Many carp would try to swim through the water, but few would be brave enough to make the final stretch up the waterfall. If a carp was able to finish the journey through the Dragon's Gate, it would be transformed into a powerful dragon.