How did the term Felliniesque come to describe a film style?

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Federico Fellini Federico Fellini, 1965.

The term Felliniesque entered the lexicon of film critics following the release of the 1960 film La dolce vita.1

The adjective describes a distinct cinematic style characterized by a blend of poetic neorealism, surrealism, and dreamlike imagery. This unique aesthetic often incorporates elements of the fantastic, autobiography, and the subconscious, frequently drawing upon the director's personal creative struggles and Carl Jung’s theories regarding the collective unconscious.213

While some critics initially used variations of the term as a form of derision, it ultimately became a recognized descriptor for the filmmaker's highly personal, visionary approach to cinema that successfully mingled reality with fantasy.13