“As this is entirely a visual age”: this sentence by Diane Vreeland was very aptly chosen by Christopher Hemphill who used it in the introduction of Allure, a volume published in 1980 that tried to capture the particular atmospheres and moods that, according to Vreeland, defined the concept of “allure”. Yet this particular sentence seemed to be also one of the inspirations behind the installation “Vreelandesque: Italian Portfolio”, a tribute to the fashion icon and editor curated by Maria Luisa Frisa and co-curated by Gabriele Monti, organised during the AltaRomaAltaModa event.

Though the installation mainly explored the connection between Diane Vreeland and Italian fashion, the power of that “visual age” Vreeland talked about was one of the fundamental themes of the event. Piles of rare Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue issues from the 30s to the late 60s, Sotheby’s catalogues and books were neatly piled up on a red table, while a saturated red light shone on Vreeland’s photographs hanging from the ceiling. The covers of fashion magazines in bright colours and slightly surreal illustrations from the mid-30s created a contrast with the covers of later issues featuring images of models taken by Louise Dahl-Wolfe or with early photo shoots from the 40s with stylish Vreeland modelling on Frank Lloyd Wright’s house. But the focus of this installation was a series of articles on Italian fashion: one article, “Portfolio of the new Italy” published in 1947 on Harper’s Bazaar, portrayed through Leslie Gill’s images the art, film and fashion world revolving around Rome with four models, among them also Marella Caracciolo, dressed in creations by Gabriellasport. Emilio Pucci was instead celebrated in an article published the following year as the Italian skier who had turned designer.

One of the most important connections between Vreeland and Italy was represented by fashion journalist Maria Vittoria Rossi, better known with her pseudonym, Irene Brin. Vreeland met Brin in New York and in 1952 the Italian journalist became Rome editor for Harper’s Bazaar, contributing with her features to perform the function of talent scout of Roman and Italian fashion. In the late 50s many articles and photo shoots published on American magazines chronicled the development of Italian fashion and the arrival on the scene of new designers such as Capucci, Galitzine, Fabiani and Simonetta. The latter became in later years instrumental in inspiring Stephen Jones his iconic designs.   
As Vreeland moved on to Vogue she kept on promoting Italian fashion and, as time passed and trends changed, new models such as Veruschka brought with them a renewed energy and a new way of promoting Italian fashion.

Dazed Digital: What is the final message behind this installation?
Gabriele Monti: Diane Vreeland died 20 years ago, so this installation mainly marks this anniversary, while celebrating her as the woman who launched the profession of Fashion Editor at Harper’s Bazaar between 1930-40. “Vreelandesque” is also a great opportunity to get to know more about her connection with Italian high fashion and prêt-à-porter. In the early days of Italian fashion, foreign magazines and in particular American magazines were very interested in what was going on in Rome. Italy was indeed considered as a country on which people working in the fashion and style industry had to keep on eye on. There’s a 1947 issue of Harper’s Bazaar for example that shows Rome as a city with a vibrant art, cinema, theatre and fashion scene and you can easily understand from such magazines that American publications had a special interest in our style.

DD: What do you think is the most important aspect of the photo shoots about Italy featured in these magazines?
GM: I would say the physicality of fashion, that special sense of tangibility that a photograph printed on a magazine can convey to the reader. Nowadays fashion is communicated through printed or digital magazines, yet I think it is important to regain this sense of physicality. The proper dimension of fashion is on paper and a printed fashion photo shoot can also give a magazine a particular rhythm and a special dimension.
      
DD: Do you have a favourite issue of Harper’s Bazaar or Vogue?
GM: The 40s were a great visionary period of time for Harper’s Bazaar. The magazine came up with great solutions and suggestions for its readers, but also Italy had amazing publications at the time, such as Bellezza that was founded in 1941. Some of my favourite Vogue issues are from the 60s, though, because they feature very contemporary fashion photo shoots. This was also the decade in which photo shoots first started having a plot or of shoots mixing black and white and colour images. Vreeland often used at the time Ara Gallant who was a great stylist, but there is an issue from December 1966 that features an amazing photo shoot in Turkey done by stylist and fashion editor Polly Allen Mellen and photographer Richard Avedon. There are also a few issues from this decade with wonderful images of Veruschka and Jean Shrimpton. What you see nowadays on fashion magazines implicitly references these photo shoots, this is why “Vreelandesque” should also be conceived as a reflection on yesterday and today’s fashion, as the past is of fundamental importance to rethink what is fashionable nowadays.

DD: Rome has lost its status of “fashion capital” to Milan with the advent of prêt-à-porter, how would it be possible for the Italian capital to become fashion-relevant again?
GM: By organising events such as “Fashion On Paper” (www.altaroma.it/FashionOnPaper/home_IT.htm), the first festival of independent fashion publications that was launched during AltaRomaAltaModa, and using them to prove that this place is a fertile ground for independent events and fairs. These events might be less institutionalised than proper fashion weeks, but they can definitely engage a younger audience and bring new and fresh ideas to the fashion scene.  

“Vreelandesque” will be touring the main fashion capitals in future months.