“Grass Stains”, an editorial project in collaboration with Vogue Italia, showcases British rising star Archie Renaux. This project, guided by the issue’s theme “Shared Humanity”, delves into what inspires the actor while exploring his artistic relationship to fashion. The students brought this theme to life, tailoring it specifically to Renaux and transforming it into a vision that liberates the inner child and brings to the fore an insatiable quest for joy and fun.
The Master in Fashion Art Direction students’ creative process consisted in first conducting an interview with Renaux that brought out his personality, touched on his inspirations and emphasized his relationship to fashion. From this they chose the thematic direction of the shoot, “Grass Stains”. Transversal in its meaning, it ignites a nostalgia for outdoor adventures, dappled sunlight and late summer evenings.
Renaux’s newly-found fatherhood was a point of interest for the students when deciding on the direction of their shoot, “spending time with my daughter, watching her films, playing her games has allowed me to see the world from her point of view, through her eyes”. Artist Nilla Blomlov’s paintings create a domestic yet whimsical atmosphere, alluding to Renaux’s new family focus as well as to his evident youthful energy.
Renaux’s keen awareness of fashion’s connection to cinema and film permeates the interview and the set, “when you get the job and put on a costume, or walk on set, a whole new version of the character emerges… the character is put into context.” On shoot day at Polimoda, a whole new version of Renaux materialized thanks to the energy and dedication of the Master in Fashion Art Direction course, highlighting the students’ creative understanding and ability to manage a project from start to finish.
CREDITS
- Art Directors: Nilfah Adams, Noura Aliouat, Ida Andersson, Ariam Andom, Shannon Enriquez, Vicky Ho, and Stefania Salvo, Master In Fashion Art Direction Students
- Talent: Archie Renaux
- Creative Editors: Fabio Messana and Marius Madalin Musat
- Photographer: Pietro Groff
- Videographer: Jonathan Emm
- Stylist: Julia Djobava
- Set Designer: Melissa Corti Diaz
- Artist: Nilla Blomlov
- Hair and Make-Up Artist: Clara Giaccari
- Producer: Josefa Aste Gotelli
- Photographer Assistant: Luca Fossa
- Videographer Assistant: Anna Mangone
- Styling Assistant: Matteo Dei
- Hair and Make-Up Assistant: Marika Montesan
- Set Design Assistant: Beatrice Casiraghi
