October, 3rd, 2014

MILANO | FILIPPO MUTANI | THE BACKSTAGE DIARIES
Leica Galerie & Store Milano
Via Mengoni 4, Milano

“Every story must be “accomplished and perfect”, i.e. it has to have unity of action: beginning, execution and an end. At least that’s what Aristotle said in his Poetics. More than the nice clothes and models what strikes me in the fashion shows is this odd theatrical dimension: all the action is finalized to the accomplishment of the fashion show; no time or space for diversions. Models, photographers, hairdressers, stylists, make up artists; even the public seems to lose their private identities to become actors of a common plot. In the beginning the story is slow, everybody seems to be just waiting and there’s a vivid sense of something that has to happen; then the action suddenly becomes hectic and frenzied, to usually end in a ritual of triumph and liberation. Fashion shows also respect the principle of unity of place: they all happen in the backstage, a closed and abstract place, a non-place that looks similar everywhere in the world. Unity of time is strictly respected too: a few hours for the set up, a few minutes for the show. Milan, Paris, London, New York, different clothes, different models, different photographers, but the shows resemble and they all tell their own story: a bit like Greek tragedies.

The backstage diaries collect 5 years of shooting in the backstage of Milan, Paris and New York. All the images have been shot on assignment for magazines such as T -The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair Italy, Max, A magazine or directly for fashion brands (Giorgio Armani, Campari, Moroccanoil). So far The backstage diaries have been internationally recognised with shortlist at 2013 Sony World Photography Awards; first prize at 2012 Invitationals of New York Photo Festival; silver medal at 2012 Prix de la Photographie of Paris; third prize in 2010 for the American National Press Photographer’s Association; first prize at 2010 London International Photography Awards.”

Filippo Mutani, Milan 2014.

Writing about Filippo Mutani in 2013, I found myself reflecting on The New Modernismo. The New Modernismo non è Futurismo, ma una mediante nel l’introduzione di diversi caratteri e formati di scritture visuali, i quali dovrebbero conferire espressione emozionale alle collezioni, esse si rivelano come pioniere per lo sviluppo della comunicazione senza essere ostaggi delle tecnologie. Dalla modernizzazione del contenuto nel editoria della moda si giunge fino ad un rivoluzionamento dello stile di raccontarla, di modo che la tradizione dello scrivere lineare viene così non superata ma assecondata. Un nuovo teatro, sintetico, ossia molto breve e limitato all’essenziale, nonostante l’incrociarsi di innumerevoli brands e couturiers.

Presentarvi Filippo Mutani é anche l’occasione per me di riflettere sul tema della fotografia nella moda e di moda. Oggi é orgia visuale da per tutto: Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine, Telly, etc. Sono diventati i nostri ombelichi digitali IL modo di .. esistere. E la fotografia paradossalmente ha accelerato la distruzione della sintassi. Le nostre immaginazioni sono pilliate è illustrate da un’espressiva immagine di copertine la quale restituisce l’allegra spensieratezza di una creatività senza .. emozioni, messagi-shock, innovazione e poetica.

Anche la fotografia dove essere coinvolta in un altra maniera, laddove l’azione del runway si estendeva soltanto al fashion editor. Il clangore del rumoroso mondo moda non può essere riprodotto mediante scatti, ma attraverso inven(emo)zioni i quali provengono dagli strumenti di propria cultura. Appunto. Come quelli inventati da Filippo Mutani. He would take masses of photographs of fashion protagonisti until satisfied that he had gotten just the precise expression on their face that braced mannerists’ notions about style, light, poise, fineness, altitude, and geometry. In deciding how a picture should manner, in preferring one exposure to another, Filippo is always imposing standards on his craft. Although there is a sense in which the camera does indeed capture reality, not just interpret it, his photographs are as way better an interpretation of the mondo moda as iPhones and Instagrams are. Those collections when his lensing of photographs is relatively undiscriminating, promiscuous, or self-effacing do not lessen the donnish of his whole creativity. Au contraire. This ubiquity of the photographic trace is Fillipo’s message in the mess. Fashion backstages are dire and diaries. Ask him.

ALESSANDRO BERGA | L’ÉDITOR