| DANGLING DREAMS 14 dresses for 14 walls Exhibition of photographs by Guido Taroni "What about us? Are we dressed in time or stripped by time? Will we be, even when we no longer are? Our clothes will remain in the closets. Our words and our thoughts in our memory. But will our bodies be taken away from our souls? Or will only these garments of our bodies remain, of what we were? Dressed in time, unaware the memory." Vittorio Sgarbi The discovery of a trunk closed for more than eighty years found in an attic of the ancient Villa Erba in Cernobbio has uncovered a group of stylish "haute couture" dresses which belonged to Guido Taroni′s great-grandmother, Carla Erba Visconti di Modrone. All unique pieces created by the most prestigious fashion houses of the period like the well-known Ventura Tailoring, founded in Milan in 1815 by Domenico Ventura which boasted a large international clientele and was Supplier of the Royal House. Other dresses are signed by the famous atelier H. Haardt et Fils, who dressed the rich Lombard aristocracy and bourgeoisie by copying French designs. The clothes with simple lines are enriched with elaborate decorations; straight evening dresses made from lightweight materials such as satin crepe or georgette crepe are brightened by crystals and diamonds. Embroideries and applications, metallic and colored textiles, mostly gold and silver. Sequins, beads and chiffon flowers decorate silks and velvets creating elegant, sensational looks. Other ornaments were made of ruffles, bows, leather and fur inserts that decorated the sleeves and collars. These were not common dresses but precious artifacts to document; so Guido decides to store them, taking photos of each one. Hanging the first dress on a terrace wall and looking through the lens of his camera he notices that the dress, with a breath of wind, moves as if "coming back to life". This is what inspired him to "create a setting" for each of the garments. He has carefully chosen a different background for all fourteen pieces of haute couture, as if each one required a different setting to resume "life and meaning" in this subtle dialogue. The old pale walls, washed out, faded and crumbling are a frame and support for the clothes so that the chromatism and shades are in perfect harmony with the colors of each outfit. These stylish combinations, besides producing unique original photographs, also allow us to clearly perceive the inexorable passing of time and changing of fashion. The emotion that pervades the observer is a mixture of nostalgia for the elegance of the past and yearning for time that devours everything. | The exhibition will be inaugurated at the Palazzo Racani Arroni on Sunday 26 June as a corollary, after the event "Tribute to Luchino Visconti" - Teatro Caio Melisso Spazio Carla Fendi at 12:00 GUIDO TARONI had understood what he wanted to do in life even before growing up. After finishing high school he is passionately dedicated to photography. It is during his first work experience at the studio Sancassani in Milan that he works on photography of architecture; after efficacious training with his uncle Giovanni Gastel, he becomes one of his assistants. He shoots to the top: at 17 he has his first front cover photo, he does photo reportage for major events, catalogues and magazines, advertising campaigns and portraits, and for fashion designers from famous fashion houses such as Stephan Janson, Lorenzo Riva, Coccinelle, Malo, Luisa Beccaria. He also collaborates with magazines such as Gioia, Sportweek, Elle Décor, Vogue Gioiello, Vogue, Elle Sposa and Vogue Sposa and works for leading fashion sites such as the new Vogue Italy site. He participates in the creation of valuable illustrated book editions like "Le terre delle cascine" (The land of farmsteads) Celip Editions and a volume on the works of the Milanese architect Piero Castellini. When he is not shooting, due to his style and that innate class that distinguishes him, he also becomes a model for advertising campaigns such as Tod´s, North Sails and catalogues including Massimo Alba and Sharmoon. He takes part in editorials for Esquire, Style, Sportweek and L′Hofficiel Hommes which devotes eight pages to him. He is also chosen among the faces of "Italian Touch", the book created by Donata Sartorio for Diego della Valle. In April 2011 he is on the front cover of Traveller. He sharpens his creative sensitivity and aesthetic beauty within the family environment, his father is an eclectic art collector, scholar of painting and decorative arts, his mother, a lover of music, cinema and theater. A twenty-one his first solo exhibition: "Dangling Dreams" opens in Milan on December 15, 2009, an exhibit that is a great success with the public and critics. Maurizio Costanzo, too, is interested in the event and interviews him, while Vittorio Sgarbi comments on the show with a touching piece of poetry. With experience, he has refined his taste for detail. Guido says, "I′ll transform you" and then he really transforms you into an ideal of beauty which lies in simplicity and balance of shapes. Adopting this criterion, he has found his own style. |
