At the intersection of performance, spirituality, and symbolic storytelling, Scarlett Rouge has carved out an artistic practice that challenges both contemporary culture and our inner landscapes. Known for her interdisciplinary approach—spanning painting, installation, video, and performance—Rouge draws on myth, archetypes, and metaphysical inquiry to create works that are at once intimate and communal. During Milan Fashion Week 2025, she opened IED’s UNSTAGE at Galleria Lia Rumma with a live performance that set the tone for a collective reimagining of the runway. In conversation, she shares her vision of art as both ritual and revelation, a way to reconnect spirit and matter in a world that too often reduces everything to surface.
Ritamorena Zotti: Growing up in a family so deeply immersed in art and fashion gave you a unique background. What’s the most important lesson you’ve absorbed from Rick Owens and Michèle Lamy?
Scarlett Rouge: Rick is very practical, his lessons are always about getting down to work , giving it 150%, to not be afraid of repetition, and most importantly: Integrity. Michèle is more subtle, she always says, “Proum proud Tra La La…” someone rejects you, someone tries to disrespect you, you feel overwhelm by fear… Proum Proum Tra La LA.
RZ: Your performances often carry a ritualistic and spiritual dimension. How does this language intersect with the world of fashion?
SR: Fashion shows are all about the pageantry, the hair, the make-up, the stylising, this is a form of ritual that harkens back to ancient warriors preparing for battle. The show is not so much about the clothes then it is about creating a feeling, the is why music also plays an important role, it helps direct the feeling the designer is trying to instigate/ stir in the audience. A fashion show is more about projecting an image or concept of lifestyle and because of this visionary aspect it si more of a ceremony than a simple show.
RZ: What was the starting point or initial image behind the performance you will present at IED?
SR: I am excited to work with Umberto and the IED team to create this unique experience that reminds us that fashion is not just about the surface, or our Egos; inside the folds of fabric there are profound Souls longing to connect to others and weave together a truly beautiful and intricate community. The first part for the Dark is inspired by 2 books: The first is called Island by Aldous Huxley, it is about a utopian community where birds cry out “Attention Attention, here and now boys here and now..” The second is a book by Chris Hayes, the Siren’s Call, it is about how Attention has become the world’s most endangered resource, and how our mental abilities are being extracted by our phone use and scrolling hypnosis. The second part for the Light room was inspired by a Lauren Hill song called I Get Out, ( I get out of all your boxes), it talks about feeling chained in bondage by society, by patriarchy… In my version it is more about getting out of the categories we box ourselves into, to move beyond the Ego and reveal the depths within —to break free from oppressive insecurities… Finally the text I am reading is from Starhawk’s book The Spiral Dance, it is a passage called The Goddess in the Kingdom of Death. In short the Moon Goddess, in winter, goes looking for the Sun God in the realm where the living do not dare to go. There she meets Death and he falls in love with her. After spending three days with him she picks up his crown and turns it into a necklace, She tells him that nothing stays the same, not even Death is eternal…Life is but a journey to death, but death is just a passage before life… from Her all things proceed and to Her they will return again, this is the cycle of rebirth.
RZ: Your work often invokes the sacred, the body, and metamorphosis. How do you see these elements as tools to narrate the present?
SR: Perhaps I would say that they are tool to helps us be more present, in the here and now, to be united and ground within ourselves and with each other. It is only when the tree is fully grounded in the “darkness” that it can raises it branches towards the light and fruition.
RZ: You grew up between two strong, complementary worlds: your mother’s art and your father’s fashion. How did you define your own voice, distinct yet in dialogue with them?
SR: First of all, I don’t think Michele would call herself an artist. She is more of a personnage, an iconic figure that feels and gives the pulse to culture. Of course it can be difficult to find my place in the sun amoung such powerful beings and I have to work to be true to my authentic self, being an extension of their voice would be an easier even seductive path maybe … But on the flip side it is because I am so close to them that I am awarded this privileged position to take my time to profoundly develop my own voice.
RZ: There is often a sense of invocation in your work, as if art were a portal. What energies or questions would you like to summon today through your practice?
SR: Right now I am thinking a lot about freedom. When I think of freedom I think of how leaders oppress people out of a false sense of security, I think of how I sabotage myself with a plethora of insecurities. I long to be anchored in myself so I can face any storm my inner demons want to hit me with. I want to have the strength to embrace the storm and allow the love to reveal the demon is actually my inner child. I want to tell it – it no longer has to be hurt, it is free to play and create. I want to have arms long enough to reach all the children who are living through this criminal suppression of their freedoms.
