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Congo, where elegance becomes revenge
Between colonial memory, European dandyism, and the dream of symbolic nobility, the Sapeurs transform clothing into identity and resistance. BRAZZAVILLE – At five in the afternoon, when the equatorial sun softens and turns the dust of the streets golden, they arrive. They make no noise. They do not shout. They do not run. They walk slowly, with the calm of those who possess nothing and yet carry everything that matters: presence, dignity, style. They wear English suits in neighborhoods where running water is unreliable. Polished Italian shoes strike uneven sidewalks. Gentlemen’s canes contrast with the tin roofs of their homes. Children stop, adults smile; some applaud, others call out remarks.…
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Interview with Beatrice Borromeo
“You represent a model of elegance and intellectual strength. How do you believe fashion can convey positive messages without losing its essence or becoming politicised?” I believe that anything related to self-expression inevitably implies, in some way, taking a stance. There is nothing wrong with being politicised, if understood in a positive sense—that is, as a way of affirming rights or values. Fashion can reach a much broader audience, often one that is less interested in social issues. Recently, for instance, there has been a great deal of messaging around gender equality. “As a journalist and Dior ambassador, how do you manage to combine aesthetics and social commitment without one…
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Interview with Emanuela Borgatta Dunnett
“I have shared with you my reflections on Gabriele D’Annunzio, but my knowledge of this author cannot be compared to yours. I would like to ask what conclusions you have drawn, based on your studies, and whether there are any of my reflections with which you do not agree.” A complex question. After thirty years of D’Annunzio studies, “ancora imparo”—”I am still learning”, exactly as Gabriele himself once said. The conclusions I draw regarding his work vary depending on the essays I am working on at any given time, and as a scholar I always prefer discussion to simple agreement or disagreement. In your work, I was certainly struck by…
Diamante is a young Italian student and this is her blog!
