Italy has been the theater of various changes these last few months, especially this fall. Not much the shows in Milan, the season looked rather "classical" for the italian capital. The real news came first from the modeling agencies side, with the launch of two young projects, Monster Management and Pop Models, both bearing a more conceptual look compared to the already existing players. Even more recent are the debuts of L'Officiel Italia and the relaunch of Flair Magazine with a completely revamped masthead and a more artistic orientation. Below is a double portrait of the new fashion press in Italy.
Many fashion enthusiastics were deeply disappointed when Amica, one of the most original publications in Europe, changed its look and target, going from a creative approach of fashion photography to mainstream and commercial contents that failed to excite the eye of the aesthetes. Amica wasn't alone to cross this line and choose a "safer" (somehow) way. The same can be said of Emmanuelle Alt's vision of Vogue Paris as Editor in Chief and some similar evolutions could be spotted here and there in Europe, North America, Asia... But things are slightly changing, other voices start to be heard again, the wind is blowing from another side.
First with the launch of L'Officiel Italia. The little sister-publication of L'Officiel Paris went for a very intriguing choice of cover for its debut issue. Instead of the usual über-retouched, mega-glossy and sometimes painfully tacky photograph covered with an overload of cheesy text, this first cover features an illustration by David Downton. Slightly retro in its mood, bright yet minimalist, the aesthetic of L'Officiel begs to differ from most of the popular visuals of the moment.
Quite on the same page is the new version of Flair, directly inspired by the original Flair magazine of the fifties. A pregnant Mariacarla Boscono by Jürgen Teller on the cover sets the tune, quite immediately, and you understand the new aims go slightly further than "just" fashion and clothes especially. Photography, literature, culture, art in general - the themes are broader and bring some extra diversity next to all these magazines that limit their topics to the best items of the season of the new generation of top models.
For all those, like me, who have felt desperate about fashion publications losing their soul and spirit lately, these two from Italy are definitely a good signal that an alternative is still possible nowadays despite the global economic issues and the cowardice of most publishing houses.
CREDITS: L'Officiel Italia, illustration by David Downton / Flair, Ph: Jürgen Teller.