Alberto Masotti, the president of La Perla from 1981 to 2007 and a Knight of Labor since 1995, died in Bologna at the age of 90. He was a medical graduate who chose not to practice in order to work in his mother Ada's corsetry workshop, which she started in 1954. The brand's name came from his idea: a film set in Hawaii portraying divers surfacing holding a pearl, which also inspired the renowned red velvet boxes resembling jewel cases. Under his guidance, La Perla expanded from corsetry to swimwear, ready-to-wear, and fragrance, with his wife, Olga Cantelli, playing an important part in the collection's style. His designs have been worn by Sophia Loren, Claudia Cardinale, Monica Bellucci, Sharon Stone, and Madonna. After stepping down as head of La Perla, Masotti founded FRI – Fashion Research Italy Foundation in 2015. The foundation houses a digital archive of more than 30,000 historical designs and sketches. At the age of 89, he launched another project using artificial intelligence to reinterpret archive designs for silk scarves. After years of crisis, the La Perla brand is now in the hands of American entrepreneur Peter Kern. Bologna mayor Matteo Lepore also remembered Masotti’s support for the company’s workers during their campaign to save the factory.