Fatal fashion: Chico Felitti’s new must-listen podcast deals with the rise and fall of the Frankie Amaury fashion brand
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Casper Libero chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.You can’t talk about leather in Brazilian fashion without mentioning Frankie Amaury: pioneers in the production of leather clothing in Brazil, the carioca brand was launched in 1979 with a very clear premise of innovation, modernity, and style. The label was named after its creators, Frankie Mackey, the great Argentine businessman, and Amaury Veras, the creative Brazilian mind behind the designs. Amaury was responsible for the fashion creations and giving life to all his drawings and ideas. On the other hand, Frankie was more of an entrepreneur and marketer, going to big parties, events, and fashion shows to sell their clothing and, of course, to improve the brand’s network and connections.
Frankie Amaury started small, but it had a very specific distinguishing feature that made it stand out: vibrant colors, captivating shapes, and the trademark, all made with good and valuable leather. The brand began its sales at the famous Fiorucci sellers and soon outgrew the space of a few shelves — Frankie Amaury needed a space of their own, and with that, the first store was opened in 1981 at the Ipanema Forum. A few years in, it became one of the most popular brands among Rio de Janeiro socialites, and in the blink of an eye, it started to be desired by people from all around the country. Even Brazil’s future first lady, Rosane Collor de Mello, wore Frankie Amaury at every social and political event when her husband, Fernando Collor de Mello, was governor of the state of Alagoas in the late 1980s, and made a point of highlighting the brand’s extravagance.
By the 2000s, the brand started its downfall; Frankie Amaury saw a significant decline in its relevance, and debts were mounting persistently. The crisis even affected its creators, who had constant arguments about money and jealousy. In 2004, the official end arrived, but suddenly, Amaury Veras was found dead in his apartment, with a scarf around his neck. At first, it was treated as a suicide, but the autopsy of the body told a different story. Everything pointed to the designer having been murdered, and the main and only suspect was his partner and companion, Frankie Mackey. The press took advantage of this narrative and, for a long time, persecuted the entrepreneur along with the Brazilian justice system. Until this day, the solution to the crime is still unknown. Frankie’s trial was scheduled for February 2015, but an unexpected letter delivered the day before would cause one of the biggest surprises in this investigation: the defendant had been dead since 2015 New Year’s. Based on the letter, Frankie had been awaiting trial for ten years in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, and died there from heart problems.
This case caught the attention of journalist Chico Felitti, who decided to dive headfirst into it. After years of research and thousands of pieces of information collected, he launched in October 2025 the podcast Vítima da Moda, and he got it more than right. The production is very comprehensive and covers all aspects and nuances of Frankie Amaury’s story: the differences in the narratives disseminated at the time, interviews with people close to Frankie and Amaury, news snippets about the brand and its creators, scene descriptions, all tied together with Chico’s narration and a soundtrack with 80s and 90s music that makes everything more immersive.
While unraveling the legacy of Frankie Amaury, Chico Felitti also brings to the table a very important discussion about how the media and the public treat celebrities. In the beginning, the brand was perceived as innovative and full of potential, later a big success and a synonym of the chic style — until it wasn’t so popular anymore. Frankie Amaury went from front-page news to a footnote, and his image was further tarnished by the representation the press created of the owners, especially Frankie, who was often treated as a joke and a man full of vices. Especially after Amaury died in 2004, people who claimed to be close friends avoided even mentioning their names. The journalist reveals that of the more than 100 people he contacted, only a few conceded an interview. The podcast attempts to fairly revive a story that was abandoned by the media and the justice system, but, above all, by Brazilian society. In addition to being an incredible report, Vítima da Moda makes a key reflection on investigative journalism: it shows that being careful in storytelling makes all the difference, whether the narrative is current or old. You can listen to Chico’s new production on Audible — and we promise, you won’t regret it!
—————————————————————–The article above was edited by Clarissa Palácio.Did you like this type of content? Check Her Campus Cásper Líbero’s home page for more!
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