FASHIONISTA (2012)

FASHIONISTA 

SYNOPSIS

By Roberto Mitrotti & Linda Urbach

Giorgio is a young, handsome shoplifter with a higher purpose: to steal from the rich (designer stores), give to the poorly dressed and the fashion junkies with shallow pockets. What fuels this compulsion is his knowledge of clothing that gets him respect in a brutal world, the gratitude he receives as a Robin Hood of fashion and the need to feed his gambling mother’s losing streak.

Merrill is a young, New York heiress, arrogant about her position in life, who thinks clothing and looks are secondary to intellect. Her obsession is getting her PHD and making a name for herself with her groundbreaking treatment of compulsions. Finding a patient to test her theory becomes Merrill ‘s urgent call.

Giorgio shoplifts one time too many, goes to jail and is terrorized by his insane cellmate.  The only way out is to enroll in the court appointed rehabilitation program with Merrill.

Her program involves brutal and humiliating steps for Giorgio, like shoplifting and returning the merchandise with an apology. Soon she is attracted to Giorgio’s magnetic sexiness as he is to her steely intelligence and the passionate woman underneath. They argue about class, values and lifestyles, about clothes and crime. They quarrel, land in bed and end up even more confused than ever.

As part of his treatment Giorgio lands a salesman’s job in a store owned by an affable Greek who treats him like a son. But soon discovers that this is a front for counterfeiting fashion lines, confronting another moral dilemma: going straight or back to crime with the loving father he never had.

Merrill is totally focused on her PHD and is indifferent to Giorgio’s struggle. Summoned by the PHD committee to validate Merrill’s work, Giorgio uncertain about his dubious rehabilitation, does not show up, derailing her career.

Giorgio goes back to stealing but realizes Merrill, who is the only one who has recognized his true potential, has stolen his heart. Giorgio denounces his mentor and has him arrested. This allows him to find a clear path for himself and by a fluke he creates a design that catapults him to the attention of a big fashion house.

Merrill drops out of her PHD program, discovers the pleasures of make-up and dressing-up and gets a job at a supermarket checkout counter in order to find herself away from her wealthy bubble. This is where he finds her again leading her back to her PHD with a brand new patient (his gambling mother!)