Dea was his alter ego, red-haired. A freer, more playful way of being in the world.
Not mere dressing up, but a character with her own name and her own spirit.
She was born of a New York night. On Christmas Eve, in the East Village, in a historic venue, he watched Amanda Lepore arrive like a true celebrity.
That encounter was a spark. He decided that, once home, he would bring his alter ego to life. On 27 December, in Milan, Dea was born.
"Dea has red hair."Roberto
He described her so, with a detail and a smile. She was playful and light, and brought into his life a freedom that made him happy.
Dea was also an experiment. Curious about people, Roberto would meet others as Dea, and watch how their gaze changed.
It was an almost anthropological game, as well as a pleasure. A way of being in the world from a different threshold, and of knowing it better.
For years he kept her to himself. Then one day he told his analyst, and lived it as a victory.
"Big accomplishment", he wrote. She told him he was right to, that it was a fun, playful and light way to be.
Two figures lived in him. Dea, play and lightness. The Buddha, silence and discipline.
They did not contradict each other. They were two roads to the same freedom, and the same peace with himself.