Rocco Ritchie, the 24-year-old son of pop star Madonna and filmmaker Guy Ritchie, made a rare and striking appearance in Rome this weekend. He attended the “Orizzonti | Rosso” Exhibition Opening Dinner, showcasing a bold new style with closely cropped, bright blond hair.
Rocco wore a classic black suit with an open-collared white shirt, adding silver bracelets and rings. His look was relaxed yet confident, blending formalwear with casual ease.
As he builds his career in the art world, Rocco aims to step out of his famous parents’ shadows. In a recent interview with Fantastic Man, he discussed the term “nepo baby”—children of celebrities who benefit from their family name. Rocco challenged the label, saying, “Some of the most beautiful cathedrals were built by generations of the same family. Now, people look at ‘nepo babies,’ and they are not the most interesting bunch, are they?”
Though technically a “nepo baby,” Rocco has tried to distance himself from the term. Early in his career, he painted under the pseudonym “Rhed” to earn respect on his own merit. He has held six exhibitions, including a successful show in Paris supported by Giorgio Armani. His work has attracted attention from fashion icons like Stella McCartney and Donatella Versace.
In 2023, Rocco dropped the alias and used his real name for a London exhibition curated by David Dawson, known for his work with Lucian Freud. This marked a turning point where Rocco embraced his identity openly.
Rocco’s journey was not without challenges. He briefly attended Central Saint Martins but left after a year. A tutor criticized his early work as “too masculine,” a comment that stuck with him. He later found his true artistic home at the Royal Drawing School in Shoreditch, where he spent long hours honing his skills.
Known for his love of tweed and tailored suits, Rocco admires classic menswear but is outspoken about modern fashion. He said many men today do not dress well and lamented the decline of traditional British tailoring. “Savile Row is a dying situation,” he said, noting the time and expense involved in bespoke suits.
Despite a luxurious upbringing, Rocco says he felt more at home with London’s South Bank skateboarders than in elite social circles. He described those years as “the best years of my life.”
Madonna and Guy Ritchie met in 1999 and married the following year. They were together for eight years before separating in 2008. Alongside Rocco, they have an adopted son, David Banda, 19, from Malawi.
