“The sound of words is as important as the rustle of taffeta”, said Anna Piaggi, historic fashion journalist and style icon. The second stage of the exhibition dedicated to her, “Words and Taffeta Chapter II: Animalia”, has been curated especially for the 105th edition of Lineapelle, at Rho Fiera Feb. 25-27. In Hall 24, at Stand R 5-7 T 6-8, MinervaHub is exhibiting some of the 150 garments from its archive, selected by creative director Jacopo Tonelli.
The exhibition, curated by critic Daniela Fedi, aims to pay homage to the culture and engine that animates fashion, inspired by the unique vision of Anna Piaggi. Piaggi has, in fact, always turned clothes into a universal narrative. The selection of clothes from MinervaHub Group has been integrated with other clothes and accessories, made available by the Anna Piaggi Cultural Association, founded by her grandson Stefano and assembled with the help of Mirko Tomei, Piaggi’s own collaborator and historical friend.
Dressing in freedom
“If I had to describe Anna Piaggi with one word, I would say cultured – confesses Daniela Fedi -. Because Anna Piaggi had a great fashion culture but also a rare reporter’s ability”. The outfits exhibited at Lineapelle were reassembled following the logical thread of the words used by Piaggi in her famous column for Vogue Italia: “DP Double Pages. The result is the beginning of a journey into the culture of a certain restless time, our own.
You will be mesmerized”. Mesmerize is the other word that describes Piaggi well. She utilized it inspired by the Viennese physician Franz Anton Mesmer and his methods of hypnosis. The “poetess of dressing“, as she was called, was able to read clothes and accessories like books, choosing references of all kinds for her outfits, always free of preconceptions or impositions.
Storytelling
Those on display at Lineapelle are not simply costumes. Anna Piaggi did not follow fashion trends but anticipated them. She was inspired by the past, to reinvent the present, creating what today are called trends. Among her hallmarks were her cobalt locks of hair, marked makeup and her ability to mix different eras and styles with which to create a language that was not just aesthetics, but a deep look at fashion, industry and art. “Her clothes were 30% thought out, the rest was gut-dressing. It was she, for example, who invented the term stylist”, adds Mirko Tomei. Among the outfits on display are those created by Karl Lagerfeld – her longtime friend – for Fendi and Chloé. “Anna Piaggi created, to all intents and purposes, a new way of communicating based on emotions and a visceral love for fashion”, Fedi concludes.
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