Michele Savoia Dies: Fashion Designer For Stars Like Ricky Martin Found Dead At 55 In Hudson River

Fashion designer Michele Savoia’s body was found floating in the Hudson River yesterday, Sunday Feb. 16, 2014. He was last seen on Thursday night at the nightclub Marquee in New York’s Meatpacking District celebrating the end of New York Fashion Week. According to the New York Post, Savoia raised suspicions when he missed Valentine’s Day dinner with his girlfriend. Later, his friend Felix Rodriguez went to look for the House Of Savoia designer, 55, at his live-in yacht but found no sign of Michele.

“Cops this morning, they searched the Hudson River and the port, and they found nothing — thank God — but that doesn’t mean undercurrents didn’t play a part,” Rodriquez said at the time. He added, “I fear the worst, I fear the worst.” His body was discovered Sunday afternoon in the Hudson River near his house boat. A cause of death has not been determined, but detectives do not suspect foul play. Savoia, also known as Savoia the Tailor, had a bright career dressing stars such as Robert DeNiro, Chris Noth, Matt Dillon, Mickey Rourke and Daymond John.

His style was very retro-30’s. “I should be living in 1937,” Savoia said back in 2011. “In the art deco era, everything was sexy ... seductive ... beautiful. You knew where you were.” He was chosen to design Ricky Martin’s wardrobe for the revival of the Broadway show “Evita” and he continued his work on The Great White Way designing the costumes for Nora Ephron's posthumous play, "Lucky Guy," where he suited up Tom Hanks for his performance as Mike McAlary.

Savoia was born in Hoboken, N.J. from an Italian family that had immigrated to the States in 1933. He claimed he got his style and his skills from his father and grandfather. "My father ran night clubs, and my Sicilian grandfather was a master tailor, who landed in Hoboken from Ellis Island in 1933. Basically, my father taught me how to dress, and Popop taught me how to tailor," Savoia said in 2011. He graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in the 1970’s, where he trained under designer Bill Kaiserman, then launched the House of Savoia in 1984. He leaves a daughter, Gabriella Rocco Savoia.