Classic, always. A summer, many years ago, my mother – who was close to her eighties – was invited for dinner by a couple. One of them showed up at the restaurant with combat boots, ripped jeans and tank top; as I recall he wore around his wrist a nice series of studded black leather bracelets. The day after my mother, who was very open minded but there’s a line, with her quiet tone of voice told me that she had found a little inappropriate inviting an elderly lady and showing up dressed like Tom of Finland (this is mine, it goes without saying that mum didn’t know the character by Touko Laaksonen). She stuck to the most classic of the classics: “In the end, what does it take? I didn’t expect the jacket: a nice white shirt with dark trousers and you never go wrong”. Maybe even mum knew that in addition to not making you look bad ever, a simple white shirt with a barely starched collar can be even sexy.

Ode to the stylists. Styling is a job that can be learned by experience, in years of practice, on fashion shootings’ sets. The stylist knows how and when to mix fabrics, prints and colors. He/she knows how to adapt clothing fits to body shapes, according to the proportions. The stylist is the professional that, mixing and matching clothes, creates a final result that pleases, amazes, reassures: in other words it plays a fundamental role for fashion media. Stylists can help photographers building their careers, they can contribute to the success of magazines, editorial campaigns and fashion shows (or they can ruin them as well). It’s an important role that shouldn’t be underestimated. Some of them gained great writing skills through the years and they now write remarkable articles not just for slick magazines but also for widely-read newspapers. When flipping through fashion editorial pages one should consider that behind each single shot there are passion, thoughts, good taste and quite a lot of work.

Back to reality. Objective beauty exists, indeed, even in fashion photography. Quality and beauty live despite of the clothes: a look can be average or can be too much, but if the picture that depicts it is beautiful, the value of that image will remain untouched during the years. Otherwise we wouldn’t be able to explain why today we still appreciate the pictures of the great photographers of the past. Wind of change is blowing, encouraging a photographic realism inspired by the masters and, as like as in many other fields, fashion notices the change and often anticipates it.

Shooting inspired by 1968 and by the misinterpreted ideologies, thanks to the release in that period of the movie Cari Compagni (that then became Il Grande Sogno, The Big Dream) with Michele Placido and Riccardo Scamarcio. Ph. Michael Woolley, Styling Alessandro Calascibetta.

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