Michelangelo Antonioni's Sartorial Vision

Courtesy Giambattista Valli

With the 50th anniversary of the classic film L’Avventura, by Michelangelo
Antonioni, I’m reminded of the Italian director’s aesthetic vision. Besides
his innovative cinematography, there’s such a nuanced way to how he portrays
women, highlighted by their wardrobes. The polka-dot skirt suit, checked pencil
skirt and tailored trench that the stunning Monica Vitti wears in L’Avventura are both modern and classic. You almost forget it’s 1960. Antonioni approached
filmmaking like a painter, using clothes to define the characters in their land­scape.
When I watch Lucia Bosé in Cronaca di un Amore, I find a contemporary
relevance to her style: simplicity in dress meets gobs of jewelry. All these
years later, his vision remains the gold standard of elegance.