Renzo Rosso reflects on a very different Miami compared to the one he sees from the balcony of his penthouse suite at the Pelican. Just behind the trees, partially hidden by a white tent that houses Scope, one of the most exciting emerging contemporary art galleries, is the South Beach Promenade. “The beach used to be filled with beautiful water, and people would come to shoot photography and do make-up right on the shore. The light was unbelievable. You could see a big contrast between the beautiful models and the older people. But what I was really in love with was the decor; I adore the design of the Art Deco style.”

Within 48 hours of his visit, he went to an agency, toured three buildings, and purchased one. Upon returning home, he enthusiastically shared his experience of the beautiful city he had just left. However, his team back in Italy did not share his excitement; they were unimpressed, with some even insulting the city. The New Yorkers he knew had similar reactions, openly expressing their disdain for Miami and turning up their noses at his decision to buy property there. “Now, New York people come for the weekend, they are happy to come to Miami but before they hated it because there were all these people coming from jail. It was not nice. This was the beginning; it was not easy,” he tells me, gazing off into the distance. “I had a good friend, Gianni Versace because at that moment he must have bought the house (Casa Casuarina). Yeah. And there was only one bar, actually two bars. One was the cafe Milano and the News Cafe. Normally we would have breakfast together in the morning and after we walk around (and I) had the idea to build the hotel.”

The Pelican, featuring 33 guest rooms, each inspired by a unique and individual concept, has become a gem in Miami's crown. This year, it is celebrating its 30th anniversary with an intimate party for special guests, friends and family during Miami Design Week. Gunna, Swae Lee, Miles Greenberg and Nick Hadad were all in attendance for the celebrations. The city of Miami Beach also paid homage to Rosso and the Pelican by honouring him with a special proclamation recognising the anniversary of the hotel; commissioner Laura Dominguez presented the proclamation officially declaring December 5 as Pelican Hotel Day.

The morning of, over some light bites and beverages, Rosso reflects on the past and envisions the future of what has now become one of Miami's staple establishments.

What did you tell you design team when you got back to Italy and decided to make this hotel? 

Renzo Rosso: I gathered everyone in my design studio and asked, ‘So, what do you think about this, everyone?’ They all expressed a desire to contribute. I said, ‘OK, everyone can come up with ideas, and then after we can see.’ In the end, everyone presented different concepts, leading us to create 33 unique rooms, each different from the others. Every room has its own theme and name. The only requirement I had was that I wanted real decor because I love decor. I also want to thank my friend Eileen Ford who suggested, ‘Why don’t you come to my building? I want to do something with you.’ In the end, I gave her half of the floor, dedicating it to Ford modeling agency. It became a popular spot where people could come for coffee and admire the beautiful top models who would pass through. For the first ten years, it was the place to be and ranked as one of the 50 best boutique hotels in the world. However, over time, the surrounding street began to change. It shifted toward a more industrial and commercial atmosphere.

How has the street changed over the past 30 years?

Renzo Rosso: The city became commercial, commercial, commercial, not many nice people walking on this street, a lot of drug dealers. So I spoke with the mayor and I said I want to leave. And he said no, Lorenzo, stay, I’m going to do something for Ocean Drive, and three years ago he did that. It’s not like it used to be, in the 90s but it is better than three to four years ago. I hope things can be better again because this doesn’t exist anywhere in the world. There isn’t one place with so much art deco.

Could you elaborate on the 33 unique rooms you mentioned? How did they come to be? Did everyone contribute different ideas?

Renzo Rosso: We used to think that people from New York disliked Miami and that Americans were not in love [with Miami]. We needed an idea to bring people here. So, we had the floors of the modelling agency and we created different themed rooms for whoever you wanted to be when you passed through. There’s an industrial room, a Caribbean room, and even a gynaecological room with one of those [examination] chairs. What is beautiful is that you feel the energy when you walk in. You can book a room and choose who you want to be that day – for your girlfriend, your boyfriend or simply for yourself. It’s all about selecting the right room to match your moment, which is what makes it so special. A few years ago, I renovated the hotel, and the renovation took a long time, but it was necessary to update the technology, including the air conditioning and windows in the rooms. Every single room is made with vintage furniture. It’s not new furniture. It’s real decor. This is why It’s very unique worldwide, especially for this strip. It’s real.

Do you ever get scared when you have guests coming in? You've got all this incredible vintage furniture but if something breaks, then... 

Renzo Rosso: Well, we have done a lot of research all around the US, and we collect so much furniture. Now that the renovation is finished, we have over six containers of furniture. I’m sending it to Italy because I want to use it all for my houses and my stores. 

Am I right in remembering that some of the rooms are inspired by movies or has that changed now?

Renzo Rosso: Yes.

So how did you come about designing those, were there any movies that were cut from the inspiration?

Renzo Rosso: We have designed the rooms with any themes that we like. Mickey Rourke was here in [the penthouse] in the beginning; half was for Mickey and half was for me. I have to say thank you to him because in the beginning, the ceiling was not very high, and Mickey gave it more height. After that, he decided, because he used to live here, as he used to train in Mohammed’s gym. At the time he boxed and he used to stay in Miami a lot which is why we divided the penthouse suite into two parts. He then decided to go to LA and I kept it on for myself.

Incredible. And in terms of the people that come here, what kind of guests are drawn to the hotel? 

Renzo Rosso: Lenny Kravitz… From the world we can have many people. Immediately, it’s becoming a global hotel. It’s not just an American hotel; it’s becoming a global hotel. People from countries that love it, we have celebrities from Holland, Brazil or Italy. They love to come here because in the hotel they feel like a king. I give tours of my apartment to them... 

You’re also one of the first people who joined fashion and hospitality in this way. And so I wondered, 30 years later, everyone’s kind of doing it. So how 30 years later do you think things will progress? How do you think it will develop? 

Renzo Rosso: The way that it was done before was thinking about how we can do something for a particular place. Now, a contractor comes with a brand and it’s the same furniture, so it’s very different. After the Pelican I did another hotel, the Chiltern Firehouse in London, with Andre Balazs. Now we’re doing a beautiful hotel in Cortina. The Chiltern is a firehouse place, Cortina is more for skiing, and here is more for the beach. So what I have done is think about how to connect with the people who live here. This is my mentality. When we talk about contracting, it’s much more, OK, I have that furniture. I do one building with 100 apartments. I put the same furniture. It’s different, but it makes money for the brand. I do it also with Diesel. But with Diesel, I do it differently. The contract that we’re doing, we have furniture and the customers buying the apartment, are free to buy something if they like. I prefer it when people have their own creativity and knowledge. When they don’t want to look like the next person.

What’s your most memorable moment from the Pelican over the years? 

Renzo Rosso: One night, I was here with Lenny Kravitz. And one little girl was asking to speak with Lenny. She found a way to talk to him, and they became friendly, and she started to cry! It was an incredible moment. Besides this, there were so many people coming. I love it when my friends come. I love when someone is in town, and I can have lunch or dinner with them. It’s a hotel, but it’s also my apartment, and it’s nice that you can feel better than when you’re at home here. Living here for a few days is just fantastic because you can use all the services, you ask for them, and you can have them. I have done the same in London now, at the Chiltern. I have done the same in Cortina with the other hotel. I never bought a house around the world. Because the house needed to be alive. And if you go to one house in one town, maybe things don’t work or the fridge is empty. You don’t have the services. I prefer to live like a king. If you are there for one day, I like to feel good.

What’s your perfect 24 hours in the city of Miami? Morning to night.

Renzo Rosso: In the morning, I go running on the beach. It’s so beautiful. You can also exercise there. After I come back, I have breakfast and shower. Then let’s go to work because I have to work. And if there is some time, I can have lunch with my friends. And normally, at night I love to go out. There are so many beautiful restaurants now, so many beautiful places. The design district is fantastic we have some stores in the design district. I have a lot of things to do. And you know what I love? I love research. Every town in the world where I go in, I like to go around to see what the other people are doing. Not now, but in the 90s and 2000s, nearby places were full of simple, artisnal stores and I used to buy a lot of things. I bought lots of vintage things that inspired me for new collections. I love to see what people are doing.

And my last question is in response to that, what‘s inspiring you today?

Renzo Rosso: My curiosity inspires me today. What are other people doing? Who’s doing better than me? Everything that I can learn something from, I am very curious about, and I love to see what is going on. I think about how I can do something better next time. This is what makes me feel alive. At 69, I feel very young in my mind. I don’t see a difference when I talk to you guys, in age, because we can talk about anything you want. Through my curiosity, I know many things about what’s going on. It makes me alive and full of positivity. It gives me the energy to run. I inspire young kids. They stop me in the street and I always shake their hands. I have no bodyguards or protection, I can go around the world alone. Today, people with bodyguards it’s more to show people who they are. It brings more attention to who they are. I stay simple and I love to speak to people, especially in school. I am not someone who is ‘Mr Rosso’, I am a real person and that is what makes me happy.